The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has disclosed that its operatives have intercepted a commercial bus conveying N3.2 million counterfeit cash owned by three suspects: eight-month pregnant Favour Peter, 24; Esther Adukwu, 27, and Ochigbo Michael, 39.
In a Sunday statement, NDLEA spokesman, Femi Babafemi disclosed that the suspects were arrested at Jabi park in Abuja in a follow up operation on Tuesday, April 9, following the seizure of the fake naira notes in Lokoja, Kogi state.
“This is even as NDLEA officers in collaboration with men of the Nigerian Navy Ship Lugard base, Lokoja intercepted 37-year-old Aliyu Lawal along Lokoja-Abuja road on Monday 8th April and recovered 620 blocks of cannabis weighing 310kg from him, while 10 sacks of the same psychoactive substance weighing 98kg were seized along Okene-Lokoja-Abuja express way by NDLEA operatives from Jama Obodo, 44, in a commercial bus coming from Ilesha, Osun state enroute Taraba state on Wednesday 10th April,” Babafemi said.
He added that in Cross River state, a 40-year-old widow and mother of two, Mrs. Theodora Ita was on Monday, April 8, arrested at Bassey Edom, Calabar, by NDLEA operatives for producing and selling a lethal new psychoactive substance, NPS, locally called ‘Combine’, which is a mixture of different strains of cannabis and opioids soaked in raw gin.
The NDLEA spokesman said as at the time of Ita’s arrest, 18 litres of the dangerous substance in used paint drums were recovered from her.
“In her statement, she claimed she started the illicit drug production and distribution in October 2023,” he said.
Babafemi further stated that another suspect, Godwin Okon Samuel, 48, was apprehended at Essit Ebum area of Calabar with 39.4kg of cannabis sativa on Tuesday, April 9.
“While two suspects: Sani Mohammed, 43, and Christopher Eze, 64, were arrested in Sabon Gari area of Kano on Tuesday 9th April with 900,000 pills of opioid recovered from them, NDLEA operatives on patrol along Owerri-Onitsha road, Imo state on Friday 12th April intercepted a logistics truck with registration number JGB 403XB and recovered 230 blocks of cannabis sativa weighing 119kg hidden under household items after a thorough search,” the NDLEA spokesman stated.