By IBIRONKE ARIYO

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has intercepted large illicit drug consignments in Lagos, Cross River, Edo, Ondo, Nasarawa, Borno, Niger, Ogun, Gombe, Kaduna, Kogi raids.

The Director, Media and Advocacy, NDLEA, Mr Femi Babafemi said this in a statement on Sunday in Abuja.

Babafemi said that no fewer than 71,000 pills of tramadol, diazepam and exol-5 were recovered from a suspect by NDLEA operatives on patrol along Abuja- Kaduna highway on Wednesday, July 23.

This, he said, was when the suspect was travelling with the consignment of opioids in a commercial bus going to Kano.

Meanwhile, in Borno, a 30-year-old lady was on Wednesday, July 23 arrested by NDLEA officers who recovered 30.1kg skunk from her house at Muna Moforo area of Maiduguri.

Babafemi said follow up operation later led to the arrest of her accomplice in the same area of the Borno state capital on Friday, July 25.

According to him, three brothers were on Saturday, July 26 arrested when NDLEA operatives raided a cannabis plantation at bending corner forest, Idoani, Ose local council area of Ondo State.

?They destroyed 2,500 kilograms of skunk on an hectare of land and recovered 121.4kg of the same psychoactive substance,? he said.

Also, in Edo state, NDLEA officers on Wednesday, July 23 raided the Asakpa community in Benin city, where they arrested a 26-year-old lady.

Babafemi said that the operatives recovered various quantities of Colorado, Loud, Arizona and skunk, all strains of cannabis as well as Methamphetamine from her.

In the same vein, a total of 105.4kg skunk was recovered by NDLEA operatives from an abandoned Honda car marked ABC 204 KM in Keffi, Nasarawa state.

Babafemi said that their counterparts in Niger state on Monday, July 21 arrested a suspect with 6,400 pills of tramadol 225mg at Kasuwan Gwari area of Minna.

He said a notorious drug dealer was taken into custody and a 113kg skunk retrieved from his enclave in Ifo, Ogun state on Thursday, July 24.

?This was after a violent resistance and attack on NDLEA operatives by members of his gang,? he said.

In another development, a total of 10,910 capsules of tramadol were seized from a suspect by NDLEA officers on patrol along Gombe-Bajoga road, Gombe state on Saturday, July 26.

Babafemi said that NDLEA operatives in Kogi state on Thursday, July 24 intercepted a consignment of skunk concealed inside garri, dried scent leaves, and other food items along Okene-Lokoja highway.

A follow-up operation in Abuja led to the arrest of a 27-year-old who was planning to travel to Katsina state with the cargo and later to Qatar.

?Similarly, operatives in Kogi on Saturday, July 26 recovered 23,600 pills of tramadol, 300 ampoules of pentazocine injection and 700 grams of skunk from a truck at a motor park in Ayingba area of the state,? he said.

Babafemi quoted the NDLEA Chairman, retired, Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa commending the officers and men of affected commands of the agency for the arrests and seizures of the past week.

Marwa praised their counterparts in all the commands across the country for pursuing a fair balance between their drug supply reduction and drug demand reduction efforts. (NAN)

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