The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested 15 drug dealers in its ‘Offensive Action’ operation.
The week-long coordinated operations took place in seven states: Akwa Ibom, Enugu, Bauchi, Adamawa, Ondo, Edo and Anambra states.
The Director of Media and Advocacy of the agency, Mr Femi Babafemi, in the statement explained that it has seized about 8,268 kilogrammes of assorted illicit drugs, including cocaine, heroin, tramadol, methamphetamine and skunk, among others.
Babafemi explained that the operation began on August 1 and lasted until Saturday across the seven states.
According to him, the operation was aimed at mopping up illicit drugs in the affected states to ensure sanity in the society.
The action, according to the statement, was directed by the NDLEA Chairman, Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa (Rtd), as steps taken against all drug cartels across the country.
The statement explained that the bulk of the illicit drugs were seized from Edo and Ondo states .
It further explained that a 27-year-old, Omokayode Adedayo, was arrested on Friday on Oda road, Akure South Local Government Area in Ondo.
Babafemi added that the offensive action operation in Akwa Ibom led to the recovery of 64.903 kilograms of illicit drugs and 1.203 kilogrammes of crack cocaine from a 26-year-old Nwoye Solomon.
He noted that in Adamawa State, Ikechukwu Onuh, a drug dealer, was arrested at Jimeta, Yola, on Thursday with 14.400 kilogrammes of tramadol packaged as diclofenac to avoid being detected.
According to the statement, “In Enugu State, 19.08 kilogrammes of cocaine and skunk were recovered from three suspects, including a 35-year old cripple, Iyiogwe Chinenye and 25-year old Aja David.”
It stated that different quantities of cocaine and heroin were also seized from an 18-year old drug dealer, Jude Chinedu, during raids at Inland town area of Onitsha, Anambra.
The statement added that more than 59 kilogrammes of a psychotropic substance, pentazocine, was also intercepted in a bus from Jos, Plateau, to Bauchi State with more than 148 kilogrammes of different variants of skunk.
The NDLEA spokesman observed that different quantities of tramadol, methamphetamine and skunk going to the UK, Australia, New Zealand and UAE were intercepted in two courier firms in Lagos.
He explained that the arrests were made by narcotic officers of the Directorate of Operations and General Investigation in the agency.
The NDLEA chairman, while reacting to the raids made, hailed the efforts of the officers and men of the seven commands for their diligence and charged them not to rest on their oars.
He assured that a nationwide offensive action would continue across all commands until the last gram of illicit drug is retrieved from the street in order to free the society of any drug that is detrimental to the wellbeing of Nigerians.
