TheCable

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) says it has seized 3,300 kilogrammes of illicit drugs in Lagos, Edo, Kaduna and the federal capital territory (FCT).

In a statement on Sunday, Femi Babafemi, NDLEA spokesman, said the agency uncovered a hotel in the FCT where drugs are allegedly sold and ladies are camped for sex.

Babafemi said three ladies and a man were arrested, “when the drug joint, JAT Suites, located at 30 Lobito Crescent, Wuse 2 was raided and some quantity of Rohynol and paraphernalia for smoking crack cocaine were recovered on Wednesday, 22nd September, 2021”.

The NDLEA also said the hotel is allegedly operating without “requisite approvals”, adding that Buba Marwa, NDLEA chairman, has directed the FCT command to work with the agency’s directorate of assets and financial investigations “to ensure the property is forfeited to the federal government to serve as deterrence to others who allow their premises to be used for drug dealing”.

In separate raids conducted in Lagos and Edo, illicit drugs were also recovered, while five persons were arrested.

“One Ms. Ozigbo Joy Nneka was arrested at NAHCO Export Shed of the Murtala Mohammed International Airport, MMIA, Lagos, while trying to export packs of codeine tablets weighing 15.15 kilograms to the United Kingdom last Wednesday,” the statement reads.

“A day earlier, Tuesday, 21st September, narcotic officers at the airport also arrested one Nwajindo Ndubuisi Emmanuel during inward clearance of Ethiopian Airline passengers at the E-arrival hall. Some bottles of codeine weighing 5.65kg were recovered from him.

“Also, at the airport, a total of 150.30kg of khat was seized on Monday 20th Sept after six weeks of placing the consignment, which arrived at SAHCO shed on August 2, via Kenya Airways cargo flight, on surveillance.

“Two female part one students of Edo State Polytechnic, Uzen, Babalola Modupe Angel (19) and Esekhagbe Sonia (20) were arrested on Thursday 23rd September, with 21 wraps of skunk, while another lady, Chioma Okocha, 25, was arrested the following day Friday 24th Sept when she tried to deliver 200grams of crack cocaine to a customer at an eatery in Benin.

“Earlier same day, men of the Irrua Area Command of the Agency working on actionable intelligence evacuated 10 bags of cannabis sativa weighing 135kg in Amahor bush in Igueben area. The exhibits were stored ready for transportation to other parts of the country.

“In the same vein, men of the Okada Area Command in the early hours of Sunday 26th Sept evacuated 2,937 kilograms of cannabis sativa from Utese forest in Ovia north-east local government area of Edo state.”

The spokesman added that one Fatima Musa, a widow, was arrested on September 18 in Zango Kataf LGA of Kaduna, while allegedly trafficking 12 kilogrammes of cannabis to Jos.

“She had earlier been convicted and sentenced to six months imprisonment on 7th July 2020 following her arrest on 3rd March 2020 with 45 kilograms of cannabis sativa,” he said.