NDLEA intercepts 14.5 tons of Ghanaian Cannabis Linked to Wanted Drug Baron in Lagos

Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have intercepted large consignments of Ghanaian Loud, a strong strain of cannabis sativa, smuggled into Lagos from Ghana loaded in two trucks and a J5 bus with a total weight of 14,524.8 kilogrammes.

A statement on Sunday by the spokesman of the anti-narcotics agency, Femi Babafemi said the three vehicles conveying jumbo bags of the psychoactive substance were trailed and intercepted at Ojuelegba area of Lagos State in the early hours of Sunday 28th January 2024.

Babafemi added that in the process of blocking the vehicles, two of the drivers jumped off on motion while the third driver, 66-year-old Nasiru Ojomu, who works with wanted Akala, Mushin based drug baron, Suleiman Jimoh (alias Olowo Idi Ogede, also known as Temo) was arrested.

The spokesman said in the last three years, NDLEA operatives have seized several shipments of same psychoactive substance worth billions of naira linked to Temo. The wanted Akala based drug lord has since gone into hiding while the agency has continued manhunt for him.

Babafemi said the NDLEA operatives on routine patrol around a warehouse sealed at Church street, Idumota, Lagos Island by the agency over an ongoing investigation last Thursday arrested three suspects: Joseph Joshua; Muhammed Adamu and Balarabe Musa who burgled the store and loaded 546,700 pills of tramadol and other opioids into a waiting yellow bus marked BDG 447 XD and an unregistered Suzuki minibus.

He also disclosed that a male deaf and dumb suspect dealing in illicit substances has been arrested at Samaru area of Zaria, Kaduna state. He said at the time of his arrest, 150 grammes of cannabis were recovered from him while selling the psychoactive substance. Another suspect, Ibrahim Sani, 56, was also arrested in possession of 51 kilogrammes of same substance at Tirkaniya area of the state.

Operatives in Abuja last Wednesday arrested Emmanuel Paul with 43.5 kilogrammes cannabis concealed in used shoes loaded in a trailer coming from Ogbese, Ondo state to be delivered at Gwagwalada area of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT. 

In Katsina state, NDLEA officers on patrol along Dutsinma – Katsina road last Friday apprehended a suspect, Murtala Isah, 35, with a total of 37,600 pills of tramadol and other opioids recovered from him.

In Kogi state, operatives last Wednesday destroyed 833.32 kilogrammes of cannabis sativa on a two acre of farmland at Iluke community, Kabba- Bunu local government area while the owner, Samuel Atonila, 49, was equally arrested. On the same day, operatives in Nasarawa arrested three suspects: Muhammed Musa, Bilyaminu Musa and Sadiya Ya’u with same psychoactive substance weighing 24.4 kilogrammes at Uke, Karu local government area of the state, while no less than 258 kilogrammes of same substance were recovered from a bush store around Ikare bypass, Owo, Ondo state.

Meanwhile while commending the arrests and seizures of the past week by officers and men of the Lagos, Kaduna, Ondo, Katsina, Nasarawa, Kogi and FCT Commands, the Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa (Retd) charged them and their compatriots across all formations of the agency to continue to remain vigilant and double their efforts on both drug supply reduction and drug demand reduction simultaneously.

Michael Olugbode in Abuja

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