NDLEA intercepts illicit medication hidden in bus engine

Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency have intercepted a consignment of illicit drugs concealed in the engine compartment of an interstate commercial bus.

The agency also busted two ‘skuchies’ factories in Osun and Lagos states, just as two grandfathers were taken into custody over alleged drug trafficking.

The NDLEA Director, Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, in a statement on Sunday, said no fewer than 5.2kg of cannabis sativa and opioids were discovered in the engine compartment of an interstate commercial bus marked VDY 187 XA on Thursday, March 7, on Gbongan-Ibadan Road, Osun State, by NDLEA officers on stop and search operation on the highway.

Babafemi said the bus driver, Iorliam Dominic, 35, who took responsibility for the concealment, was taken into custody for further investigation.

“The previous day, Wednesday, March 6, a 26-year-old lady, Obasanmi Esther Iyanu, who produces and distributes skuchies, was arrested during a raid on her hideout in Osogbo, the Osun State capital. At least, 16.5 litres of the illicit substance and different quantities of molly and cannabis were recovered from her during the raid,” the agency’s spokesperson stated.

“In the same vein, NDLEA operatives in Borno State have arrested a 70-year-old grandfather, Mallam Mai Gemu Adam, and 65-year-old Yamama Musa, for drug trafficking. They were arrested on Saturday, March 9, along with 24-year-old Abubakar Ya’u and Babagana Abubakar Ali, 28, in Maiduguri and Gamboru-Ngala respectively while 32,000 ampoules of tramadol injection were recovered from them.

“Same day, operatives at Geidam in Yobe State intercepted a Golf 3 salon car heading to Gagamari in Niger Republic, where the occupant, Alhaji Mala Tijjani, 28, was to deliver 40 blocks of cannabis weighing 24.5kg to another dealer, while 42 cartons containing 8,400 bottles of codeine syrup weighing 1,260 kilogrammes were recovered from a driver, Mutari Ya’u, 29, at Katsina road, Kaduna, on Tuesday, March 5,” the statement noted.

In Kano State, the agency stated that 35-year-old Nura Yusuf was arrested with 62kg of cannabis in the Gadar Tamburawa area, where Abubakar Sani, 40, was also nabbed with 244 bottles of codeine syrup, while Mohammad Alkali, 28, was found with 49,800 pills of tramadol on the Kano-Maiduguri Road, on Thursday, March 7.

Babafemi further stated that NDLEA operatives in Lagos on Wednesday arrested Aba Thomas in the Igbo Elerin area of the state where 84 litres of skuchies, 1.1 litres of codeine syrup, 4kg cannabis sativa, and 800 tablets of tramadol 225mg were seized from him.

“No fewer than eight suspects were arrested on Friday where NDLEA officers raided the notorious Karu abattoir drug joint in the FCT, Abuja with 51.3kg cannabis recovered from them. Those arrested include Buhari Muhammadu, Jamilu Muhammed, Abubakar Wappa, Yahaya Tasiu, Ezekiel Mulanda, Abba Haruna, Habibu Umar, and Shamsu Lawali.

“In Plateau State, two suspects: Pam Thomas, 45, and Stephen Nyam, 38, were on Monday, March 4, arrested with cannabis weighing 611.428kg at Zawan, Jos South, while in Kogi State, NDLEA officers intercepted a commercial J5 bus coming from Onitsha, Anambra State to Zaria, Kaduna State on Wednesday, March 6 along Okene-Lokoja-Abuja expressway where a total of 8,580 pills of tramadol and exol-5 were seized from a suspect, Yusuf Abdullahi, 40.

“In Enugu, operatives on Tuesday, March 5 raided some locked-up shops at the new market in the Enugu metropolitan area where 371.42kg cannabis and 9.49g of methamphetamine were recovered,” the statement added.