From Esther Akaa, Lafia
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Nasarawa State has seized 1,659 tons of cannabis sativa worth N30 million in the state.
The agency also arrested a suspect, Mohammed Adamu, who drove a white J5 Boxer vehicle with registration number KTG 71 XC, conveying the illicit drugs.
The state Commander of NDLEA, Peter Odaudu, disclosed this at a press briefing held on Wednesday in Lafia, the state capital.
Odaudu, however, said that the co-driver and the alleged owner of the illegal merchandise of death and owner of the vehicle, whom he said is believed to be in Bauchi State are yet to be arrested.
He said: “Yesterday being Tuesday, 9th August, 2022 at about 1024 hours, officers and men of Akwanga Area Command intercepted a white J5 Boxer vehicle with registration number KTG 71 XC. The vehicle which had originated its journey from Ogere, Ogun State, was headed for Bauchi, Bauchi State.
“Recovered from the vehicle were 1,556 compressed laptop like parcels of cannabis sativa, popularly known as hemp or wee-wee, which weighed 1,659 kilograms, concealed behind several pineapple fruits.
“The narrative is that, while on routine motorised patrol within Akwanga, the two occupants of the now impounded J5, the driver and the co-driver, sighted our operatives from afar off. They quickly disembarked and ran away before the law enforcement agents got to them.
“Being suspicious of such a vehicle loaded with goods left unattended, the superior intelligence of our well trained operatives, was brought to bear. Whereas the vehicle was still parked, after a while, they left the scene, unknown to the driver, two of the personnel had creeped into the surrounding bushes and waited in ambush.
“Moments later, unaware there was still anybody around, the driver emerged from his hideout and was arrested as he attempted to drive off the vehicle. The co-driver, Auwalu, probably on clairvoyance, never came back and so is still at large.”
The commander, said the seizure was unparalleled in the history of the agency in the state, recalling that it was at the heels of two similar massive drug seizures recorded in the month of July.
He explained that on July 6, 2022, the command seized 367.6 kilograms of cannabis sativa and arrested two suspects around the Emir’s Palace in Lafia.
He, added that “on July 9, a whopping 1,029.5 kilograms of hemp were seized around the 500 Housing Unit on Doma Road, Lafia, concealed in a truck for conveying natural gas. The vehicle originated its journey from Edo State, made a stopover in Lokoja to offload part of its cargo before it headed here. A suspect was arrested in connection with that seizure and is to be prosecuted.”
He, therefore, reassured of the commitment of the NDLEA to tackle the menace of illicit drugs from the state and the country at large.
