In a statement issued on Sunday, May 18, by Femi Babafemi, NDLEA’s Director of Media and Advocacy, the agency disclosed a series of significant operations carried out between May 15 and 16.
According to the statement, NDLEA operatives on patrol along the Abuja-Kaduna Expressway intercepted a 29-year-old man, Ismail Isah, with an AK-47 rifle and two loaded magazines concealed in a sack of maize. The discovery was made on Friday, May 16. Isah has since been detained and will be handed over to the appropriate security agency for further investigation and prosecution.
In another major operation in Taraba State, NDLEA officers arrested a 22-year-old suspect, Shafiu Ismail, in Sabon-Layin, Jalingo Local Government Area, on Thursday, May 15. Ismail was found in possession of 5,350 pills of tramadol and diazepam—both controlled substances known for their misuse and abuse across the country.
Also on May 15, in Jigawa State, NDLEA operatives apprehended a 35-year-old man, Tijjani Mohammed, at Malamawa, who was caught with 198 kilograms of skunk—a potent strain of cannabis.
In Niger State, NDLEAoperatives patrolling the Mokwa-Jebba Road intercepted a Toyota Carina with registration number AGL 945 BK. The vehicle was transporting 316 blocks of skunk, weighing a total of 143 kilograms. A suspect, Idris Kamal, 35, was arrested in connection with the seizure. On the same day, at Chachi junction along Kaduna Road, 26-year-old Emmanuel Hassan was caught with 14.3 kilograms of Loud, a high-grade variant of cannabis. Further investigation led to the arrest of Bello Aliyu, alias Liti, 39, identified as the actual owner of the consignment.
In a separate operation in Nasarawa State, 60-year-old Welman Kengbo was arrested on May 16 at Karu, found with a staggering 594.8 kilograms of skunk. Similarly, in Lagos State, NDLEA officers arrested Oyenuga Toheeb along the Lekki/Epe Expressway on May 15, with 67.5 kilograms of skunk in his possession.
These arrests come as the NDLEA continues to intensify its War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) campaign across Nigeria. The agency’s advocacy activities last week included sensitisation lectures at various schools such as Supreme International School, Fagge, Kano; Al-Arifeen International Academy, Kaduna; Nadado Primary School, Bakori, Katsina; Ila Orangun Grammar School, Ila Orangun, Osun; and Government Secondary School, Onne, Rivers State, among others.
The NDLEA’s continued efforts underscore the agency’s commitment to curbing drug trafficking and abuse across the country, as well as educating the public on the dangers of illicit substances.
