NDLEA seizes over 2,000kg of cocaine, cannabis in FCT

The National Drug Law enforcement Agency (NDLEA), FCT Command, seized over 2,000kg of cannabis sativa, cocaine and other illicit drugs in October. The NDLEA, FCT Commander, Mrs Chinyere Obijuru, disclosed this on Tuesday in Abuja at a media briefing.

She said that the seizures were made possible by the agency’s intensified fight against drug trafficking in and around the FCT.

“The NDLEA under the leadership of Col. Mustapha Abdallah (rtd) remains committed to its mandate of eradicating drug- related crimes in the nation,’’ she said.

Mr Peter Adegbe, the command’s Public Relations Officer, who took journalists on an inspection of the seized drugs, said that most of the drugs were seized at Abaji, FCT. He said that the agency seized 1,799kg of cannabis sativa concealed in a compartment of a truck on Oct. 27 at Abaji. Adegbe said that the truck, heading for Yola from Edo, was intercepted in the FCT through the vigilance and professionalism of NDLEA officers on duty.

He said that the NDLEA also arrested a suspect with 76.2g of cocaine worth over two million naira on Abaji while the suspect was trying to smuggle the substance into the FCT.

The spokesperson said the agency equally arrested two men each with 49kg of cannabis sativa on the same route while trying to smuggle the banned drug into the FCT. He said collaboration of NDLEA with other agencies had begun to yield fruits, with the Nigerian Army Brigade of Guards intercepting a Toyota Corolla Vehicle with 16 bags of cannabis sativa weighing 156.5kg on Oct. 31.

Adegbe added that the agency also seized cartons and bottles of cough syrups with codeine and tramadol during raids in FCT in October. He said that the agency would continue to carry out anti-narcotics offensive in a bid to rid the FCT of drug trafficking and barons.

He called on FCT residents to be vigilant and report any drug activity in their neighbourhood to the nearest NDLEA office.