Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency have arrested three physically challenged persons in separate drug trafficking operations carried out across Anambra State and Kwara State.
The agency disclosed this in a statement issued on Sunday by its Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi.
According to the statement, NDLEA operatives arrested a 60-year-old suspect, Romanus Nwabara, during an intelligence-led operation in Akpaka Forest, Onitsha.
The agency said the suspect was apprehended on Wednesday with 250 grams of skunk packaged in retail sachets.
In another operation conducted in the Ogbunike area of Anambra State, officers reportedly arrested another physically challenged suspect, Amos Kenneth, 25, with various illicit substances.
Recovered items included 160.3 grams of Tramadol tablets, 80 pills of Diazepam, 38.23 grams of Exol 5 and 176.93 grams of skunk.
Similarly, NDLEA operatives on patrol along Bode Saadu in Kwara State intercepted a commercial vehicle on Friday and discovered 6.3 kilograms of skunk concealed in a brown school bag belonging to another physically challenged suspect identified as Usman Salisu.
The anti-narcotics agency also announced the recovery of 2,326 kilograms of Loud, a strong strain of imported cannabis, during a raid on a mansion in Lagos allegedly used as a drug stash house.
The operation, carried out by the agency’s Special Operations Unit at a residence located on African Lane, Lekki Phase 1, led to the seizure of about 4,000 parcels of the illicit substance valued at over N5.8bn.
NDLEA said two Mercedes-Benz buses and several designer packaging materials used for retail distribution were also recovered from the property.
Elsewhere, a suspect identified as Emmanuel Osita Okeke, 38, was arrested with 129 kilograms of skunk at Nyanya-Karu in Nasarawa State.
The agency further disclosed that operatives intercepted a commuter bus along the Okene-Lokoja highway in Kogi State, where 76 jumbo bags of skunk weighing 766 kilograms were recovered.
Three suspects identified as Mathew Omohove, Ebuka Desmond and Babangida Musa were arrested in connection with the seizure.
In another raid at the Ijora Badia area of Lagos, NDLEA operatives uncovered a makeshift skuchies production factory where two suspects, Bose Jamiu and Gbenga Gege, were allegedly caught preparing cannabis mixtures with other illicit substances.
The agency said 270 litres of already processed skuchies and 106 grams of Tramadol were recovered during the operation.
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Mohamed Buba Marwa, commended officers involved in the operations across Lagos, Anambra, Kwara, Kogi and Nasarawa states.
He urged personnel of the agency to sustain the momentum in ongoing drug supply reduction and sensitisation campaigns nationwide.
