The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested three persons living with disabilities during separate anti-drug operations across the country, while also uncovering a cannabis stash estimated to be worth N5.8 billion in Lagos State.
The development was disclosed on Sunday in a statement issued by the agency’s Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi.
According to the statement, a 60-year-old suspect identified as Romanus Nwabara was arrested at Akpaka Forest in Onitsha, Anambra State, with 250 grams of skunk packaged in retail sachets.
In another operation carried out in Ogbunike, Anambra State, NDLEA operatives arrested 25-year-old Amos Kenneth, who was allegedly found in possession of quantities of Tramadol, Diazepam, Exol-5, and skunk.
Babafemi also revealed that operatives uncovered a major cannabis stash house in Lekki Phase 1, Lagos, alongside a skuchies production factory in another part of the state.
During the raid in Lekki, officers of the NDLEA Special Operations Unit reportedly stormed a mansion allegedly used for storing illegal drugs. The agency said it recovered 4,000 parcels of “Loud,” a strong imported strain of cannabis, weighing about 2,326 kilograms and valued at over N5.815 billion.
Officials also seized two Mercedes-Benz buses and designer packaging materials allegedly used for drug distribution.
In Kwara State, NDLEA officers on patrol along Bode Saadu intercepted a commercial vehicle and discovered 6.3 kilograms of skunk hidden inside a brown school bag belonging to a passenger identified as Usman Salisu, another suspect living with disability.
Elsewhere, operatives arrested 38-year-old Emmanuel Osita Okeke in Nyanya-Karu, Nasarawa State, after allegedly recovering 129 kilograms of skunk from him.
Along the Okene-Lokoja highway in Kogi State, officers intercepted a passenger bus travelling to Abuja and recovered 76 jumbo bags of skunk weighing 766 kilograms. Three suspects — Mathew Omohove, Ebuka Desmond, and Babangida Musa — were arrested in connection with the seizure.
In a separate operation in Ijora Badia, Lagos, NDLEA operatives raided a makeshift skuchies production site and arrested two suspects identified as Bose Jamiu and Gbenga Gege.
The suspects were allegedly caught producing skuchies, a substance made by mixing cannabis with other illicit drugs. Officers reportedly recovered about 270 litres of the mixture as well as 106 grams of Tramadol during the raid.
