Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have intercepted two imported consignments of Loud, a strong strain of cannabis, with a combined weight of 5,344.1 kilogrammes in Lagos.
The drugs, were seized along the Epe-Lekki corridor and at the Alfa beach, also in Lekki area of Lagos state.
A statement on Sunday by the spokesman of the anti-narcotics agency, Femi Babafemi revealed that the first interception was based on credible intelligence, adding that NDLEA operatives laid ambush for a white truck conveying 50 jumbo bags of the illicit substance weighing 2,434.1 kilogrammes along the Epe-Lekki expressway in the early hours of last Monday.
He said the truck driver however jumped out of the vehicle and escaped in a security hilux van escorting the truck, after the anti-narcotics officers successfully demobilized the truck conveying the drug exhibits.
Babafemi said, in the second interception around Alfa Beach in Lekki, officers of the Marine Command of the agency last Tuesday acting on intelligence, intercepted a boat loaded with the same imported substance weighing 2,910 kilogrammes upon arrival from Ghana.
Two Ghanaians: Monday Saba, 30, and Hakeem Kwana, 27, found with the consignments were promptly arrested.
In Niger state, two suspects: Abubakar Mohammed, 32, and Nuhu Sale, 43, were arrested on Sunday 18th June along Abuja expressway, Suleja with 31 jumbo bags of skunk weighing 517 kilogrammes, while a 30-year-old Amina Alilu was arrested with 171 kilogrammes of the substance last Wednesday at Ogbogodo village, Dekina local government area, Kogi state.
The spokesman said a suspected fake female security agent, Ogedegbe Dorcas, 34, was also nabbed at Ajegunle Asa Dam Area of Ilorin, Kwara State with 30 kilogrammes of cannabis last Thursday, while in Oyo state, NDLEA operatives intercepted 42-year-old Segun Olajide with 49.2 kilogrammes of same substance last Saturday in Oyo town.
He revealed that iperatives in Edo state stormed Ekudo forest, Uhunmwode local government area where they destroyed a cannabis farm measuring 2.5 hectares, recovered processed weeds weighing 67 kilogrammes and arrested six suspects namely: Onyeka Onyedinma; Monday Onyedi; Alex Eboh; Edosa Imariagbe; Godbless Tunde and Godstime Osarobo in the early hours of Monday 19th June.
Meanwhile, the Chairman/Chief Executive of the Agency, Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa (Retd) while commending the officers and men of the Lagos, Kogi, Niger, Kwara, Oyo, Edo and Marine Commands for blocking over five tons of illicit substances from going into circulation in the country in the past week, charged them and their compatriots across other formations to remain committed to the corporate goal of ridding Nigeria of the menace of substance abuse and illicit drug trafficking.