The operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency have arrested a septuagenarian grandparents in separate operations in Edo and Bayelsa States, recovering over 1,500 kg of skunks.
This was disclosed in a Sunday statement signed by the agency’s Director of Media & Advocacy, Femi Babafemi.
According to the statement, a 73-year-old grandpa James Ugbedo was arrested was arrested in a cannabis plantation in Etsako East Local Government Area in Edo State while the 70-year-old grandma Mrs. Comfort Odudu was arrested Yenagoa, Bayelsa state.
The statement reads, “A 73-year-old grandpa James Ugbedo was on Friday 7th November arrested in a cannabis plantation at Igbeshi forest, Imiakebo, Etsako East LGA, Edo state where 1,459.75kg skunk was destroyed and 5.6kg of same substance evacuated, while 70-year-old grandma Mrs. Comfort Odudu was nabbed at Onopa, Yenagoa, Bayelsa state with 5kg skunk on Tuesday 4th November.
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Also in Kogi state, “NDLEA operatives on patrol along Okene/Lokoja highway on Wednesday 5th November intercepted a consignment of 7.600kg Loud, a strong strain of cannabis. A follow-up operation in Abuja led to the arrest of the owner, Chukwunonso Anieze, 40, while no fewer than 175,000 pills of opioids were recovered from another consignment at the location same day.”
Three suspects: Olayide Oyidiran, 39; Abdulsalam Abdulsalam, 28; and Opeyemi Tijjani, 39, were on Wednesday 5th November nabbed at Abuja/Kaduna tollgate with 769kg skunk being conveyed in a truck marked TRE 897 BE, coming from Lagos en route Owo, Ondo state and heading to Kano.
While commending the officers and men of SOP, DFCM, Tincan, Edo, Taraba, Kaduna, Kogi, Niger and Bayelsa Commands for the various successful operations, Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (rtd) enjoined them and their colleagues across the country to continue with the ongoing balanced approach to the drug control efforts of the Agency.
“The dismantling of yet another clandestine laboratory for the production of Colorado and other dangerous synthetic substances and the arrest of the kingpin behind it in Lekki, coming barely a week after similar actions were taken against another cartel in Ajao estate Lagos shows that these are no doubt the first in the series of what will be many strikes against merchants of death who prey on the weak in our communities. Let it be known to those still hiding in the dark that the NDLEA supported by our local and international law enforcement partners will continue to hunt them and bring them to justice”, Marwa added.
