NDLEA arrests fake soldier, police officer, others in special raids

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested a fake soldier, police officer and a youth corps member among 663 drug traffickers and users during raids at notorious drug joints in Lagos, Abuja, Benue and other parts of the country.

The spokesman of the agency, Femi Babafemi, said on Sunday in Abuja that assorted illicit drugs weighing over 153, 256.876kgs were either destroyed or seized in the past week.

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He said that in Lagos, the notorious drug haven, Akala in the Mushin area of the state, was on Friday 15 October raided by a combined team of 70 NDLEA operatives and 30 soldiers in a joint operation code-named ‘Operation Still Waters’.

Babafemi said that 27 suspects were arrested while various drugs like Cocaine, Heroin, Tramadol, Rohypnol and Cannabis, with a cumulative weight of 2,463.876Kg were seized.

“A day earlier, operatives also raided drug joints in Ojo and Maryland areas of the state where six persons were arrested and different quantities of drugs seized.

“This followed another raid of Alhaji Lasisi street, Idioro, Mushin as well as Okota in Oshodi-Isolo area of the state during which 12 suspects were arrested and over 165kg of assorted illicit drugs recovered,” he said.

In Ogun State, operatives on Friday 15 October intercepted one Williams Esuabom along Ore- Shagamu expressway with 562.5kg Cannabis being conveyed in a Toyota sienna bus, while in Benue State, narcotic officers in a joint operation with soldiers raided Lafia park where six suspects including a youth corps member, Paul Ndubuisi, were arrested with different quantities of drugs.

This came on the heels of the arrest of a suspected fake soldier, Abel John, along Apir- Makurdi-Aliade road with 3.5kg Cannabis on Wednesday 13 October.

In FCT, Abuja, a suspected fake Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP), Joshua Yusuf, who claimed to be serving in Kano was arrested along Gwagwalada expressway while conveying 45.5kg of Cannabis.

Three suspects were arrested during raids in Dabba and Luku village, Kaiama Local Government Area of Kwara State where over 64kg of drugs were recovered on Wednesday 13 October.

In Ekiti State, NDLEA operatives stormed the forest reserve along Uso Road, Ise-Orun LGA, where they destroyed over 150,000kgs of cannabis being harvested on 40 hectares of land during an operation that lasted for three days.

The operation, which began on Tuesday continued till Sunday 17 October.

In raids across other states in the country, no fewer than 615 suspects were arrested and illicit drugs with a total weight of 3394.2031kgs recovered.