NDLEA Busts Major Drug Trafficking Network: Pregnant Woman Among 24 Suspects Arrested

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has apprehended 24 individuals, including a six-month pregnant woman, three other women, and a 42-year-old man, suspected of drug trafficking and dealing. The arrests occurred during major interdiction operations across eight states, leading to the confiscation of over 7,609 kilograms of assorted illicit drugs.

According to NDLEA spokesman Femi Babafemi, a substantial portion of the seized drugs, particularly opioid pills, was destined for insurgent/terrorist enclaves in the Banki area of Borno State. The operations spanned several states, with Nasarawa State taking the lead in drug interceptions.

In Nasarawa State, NDLEA operatives intercepted a truck with the license plate Lagos JJJ 64 YC, transporting 4,037 kilograms of cannabis sativa from Akure, Ondo State, to be delivered in Shabu area, Lafia, the state capital. Three suspects, Shuaibu Liman (35), Monday Audu (33), and Linus Samuel (42), were arrested in connection with this significant seizure.

In Abuja, FCT, on February 5, operatives arrested Jibrin Shuaibu (23) and Prosper Innih (17) with 1,961.5 kilograms of compressed cannabis sativa concealed in a truck with the license plate Ogun WDE 557 XC. The truck was intercepted during a stop-and-search operation on the Abaj-Abuja highway.

On February 6, Abdulhameed Dauda (27) was apprehended in Owo, Ondo State, with 89 kilograms of the same psychoactive substance loaded into his truck, destined for Gwagwalada in FCT. Additionally, Hassan Ade (30) was intercepted transporting 696.5 kilograms of the substance from Idoani, Ondo State, to be delivered at Gwagwalada and Dei-Dei in FCT.

Notably, a follow-up operation led to the arrest of Mrs. Joy Chukwuka (42), a mother of three children, linked with one of the intercepted consignments. In Ondo State, NDLEA operatives seized 633.5 kilograms of cannabis at Eleyere, Ogbese, in Akure North LGA, and recovered 59 jumbo bags of the same substance in a truck marked GAD 287 XA heading to the Northern part of the country.

The drug traffickers resorted to spraying detergents on the cannabis bags to suppress the odor, and 192 packs of table water were loaded on top to conceal the illicit consignment. The NDLEA’s successful operations underscore the agency’s commitment to combating drug-related crimes across the nation.