The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has destroyed over 178,000 kilograms of cannabis on a large farm in Taraba State and arrested multiple suspects, including a 75-year-old man, in nationwide raids targeting drug cartels and traffickers.
The 75-year-old suspect, Uchelue Ikechukwu, was arrested with 26.7kg of skunk at Umudioka, Dunukofia Local Government Area of Anambra State. Several others were also nabbed with varying quantities of opioids and cannabis in different parts of the state.
In Taraba, a 30-year-old suspect, Alfa Andrew, was caught with a Dane gun during an operation in Mayodoga forest, Sardauna Local Government Area, where NDLEA operatives, supported by the Army and local vigilantes, destroyed 71.5 hectares of cannabis farmland weighing 178,750kg.
Similarly, NDLEA operatives intercepted 104,900 capsules of tramadol concealed in a fuel tanker at the Abuja/Kaduna tollgate, believed to be en route to insurgents in Borno State.
Another raid in Maiduguri led to the arrest of 33-year-old Uchenna Umeh, a major opioid supplier, with 30,640 tramadol pills, 7,940 rohypnol tablets and ₦7.99 million in cash.
Other seizures across the country included 79,040 pills of tramadol and diazepam in Nasarawa, 15,000 tramadol capsules hidden in animal feed in Gombe, 250,000 exol-5 tablets in Kano, 164kg of cannabis in Lagos, and 117.5kg of cannabis in Ondo.
In Ekiti, operatives arrested a suspected drug kingpin, Ajayi Ayodeji Idowu, with 5.3kg of Loud and Colorado strains of cannabis and methamphetamine.
NDLEA Chairman, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), commended the agency’s commands nationwide for their efforts, particularly in Anambra, Taraba, Kaduna, Kano, Nasarawa, Adamawa, Gombe, Lagos, Ekiti, Ondo and Edo. He also praised ongoing War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) sensitisation campaigns across schools, worship centres, workplaces and traditional institutions.
