By Barnabas Augustine
Nigerian anti-narcotics officials of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have been busy in recent days, making a series of significant drug seizures across the country.
On Thursday, August 15th, a haul of 200.2 kilograms of cannabis was intercepted on the Onitsha-Enugu road. The driver of the Sienna vehicle carrying the illicit substance, 41-year-old Okoro Emmanuel, was apprehended at the scene.
In a separate operation on Monday, August 12th, authorities in Kano pounced on a pair of drug dealers, Joseph Apeh (45) and Diamond Nnabuike (21), seizing a staggering 145,400 tramadol tablets from their possession.
Meanwhile, in Ogun State, a cannabis plantation spanning six hectares was uncovered in Alaka village on Tuesday, August 13th. Four individuals, including 70-year-old Fidelis Egede, were arrested in connection with the cultivation of the illegal crop.
The following day, Wednesday, August 14th, Kogi State witnessed its own drug drama when Abba Yakubu was collared with 40,000 tramadol tablets bound for Kontagora.
Not to be outdone, Niger State authorities made a significant arrest on Thursday, August 15th, capturing Ifeanyi Chukwueze with a hidden stash of 28,500 tramadol pills concealed within a loudspeaker in Kontagora town.
The crackdown continued in the nation’s capital, Abuja, where a truck carrying 30,000 ampoules of pentazocine injection was intercepted on the Kwali-Gwagwalada expressway on Tuesday, August 13th. Three suspects, Ifeanyi Sunday, Jeremiah Paul, and Edet Ubokobong, were apprehended in connection with this seizure.
The final arrest of the week occurred on Thursday, August 15th, when Tochukwu Onah, aged 39, was detained by NDLEA officers in Paparanda, Lokoja with 1,000 ampoules of pentazocine injection in his possession.
These recent successes highlight the ongoing battle against drug trafficking in Nigeria and the determination of law enforcement agencies to disrupt the activities of criminal networks involved in this illicit trade.