Crime & Justice

NDLEA Intercepts Cannabis Shipment and Arrests Suspects Across Multiple States

Major Seizure at Lagos Airport
Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have intercepted a consignment of Loud, a synthetic strain of cannabis, concealed in a duvet and prepared for export to the United Kingdom. The discovery, made at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos, involved six parcels of the psychoactive substance weighing 3.50 kilograms.

According to the NDLEA spokesperson, Femi Babafemi, the consignment was linked to Austin Balogun, who admitted in his statement that he was paid N700,000 to ship the package but spent most of the money on an apartment and export charges. Balogun had hired an accomplice, Sunday Adakole, to facilitate the shipment.

Raids and Arrests in Lagos State
In another operation in the Igbo Olumo, Ikorodu area of Lagos, NDLEA operatives raided a hideout and arrested Joseph Adewale and Biodun Adelakun. The operation led to the recovery of:

Seven litres of skuchies, a psychoactive drink made with black currant, cannabis, and opioids.
Three locally made double-barrelled rifles.
One locally made double-barrelled pistol.
One English-made pistol.
One locally made single-barrelled rifle.
Three cartridges and one empty 9mm cartridge.
An iron-head axe.

A separate raid in the notorious Akala area of Mushin, Lagos, on Sunday, January 19, led to the seizure of 47kg of skunk (a cannabis strain) and 25.46kg of nitrous oxide, commonly known as laughing gas.

Arrests in Ekiti and Kwara States
In Ekiti State, a 26-year-old suspect, Adepoju Taiwo, was apprehended on January 23 along Iworoko Road, Ado-Ekiti, with 1.950kg of Canadian Loud, another strain of cannabis.

In Kwara State, Auwal Sani was arrested on January 20 at Bode Saadu in Moro Local Government Area. Operatives recovered 50,000 pills of tramadol 225mg weighing 36.56kg.

Kano State Operations
In Kano, a Nigerien national, Abubakar Lami (45), along with Abba Sani (35) and Auwal Aliyu (32), was arrested at Gadar Tamburawa. Operatives seized 13.1kg of skunk and 125 litres of ‘suck and die,’ a dangerous psychoactive substance.

Additionally, a cannabis plantation in Gefen Kasa, Dawakin Kudu Council Area, was discovered and destroyed. The suspect linked to the farm, Sabo Ali Muhammad (45), was also arrested.

NDLEA’s Commitment to Drug Control
The NDLEA has intensified its crackdown on drug trafficking and production across the country. Speaking on the operations, Babafemi stated that the agency is focused on disrupting supply chains, apprehending traffickers, and ensuring the prosecution of suspects involved in illicit drug activities.

These recent arrests and seizures underscore the NDLEA’s ongoing efforts to combat drug-related crimes and reinforce public safety nationwide. Further investigations are underway to dismantle the networks behind these operations.