43 Drug Dealers, Users Arrested In Ondo, Nasarawa, Benue Raids

Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have arrested no fewer than 43 dealers and consumers of illicit substances in Nasarawa, Benue, and Ondo States.

Following a series of raids tagged ‘offensive action’ in the states, the agency revealed that operatives recovered 137.55 kilograms of assorted drugs.

In Nasarawa State, NDLEA operatives backed by a detachment of soldiers from 177 Battalion of the Nigerian Army, Keffi, raided notorious drug joints located in Kara Masaka, Ruwa Ruwa Uke, Abattoir at the border with FCT, Filing Bala, Masaka U-Turn, and others for two consecutive days – August 5 and 6.

During the raids, at least 41 suspects were arrested and assorted drugs such as cocaine, cannabis sativa, cough syrup with codeine, Rohypnol, and tramadol with a total weight of 65.250kg were recovered from them.

Cannabis plants planted by the drug dealers in the adjoining bushes were also destroyed while all the stalls in the drug markets were dismantled and set ablaze.

In the same vein, operatives of the Ondo State Command of the agency raided the Odopetu area in Akure South Local Government Area of the state capital in the early hours of Monday.

Forty-four-year-old Folake Ademola was arrested, but her husband escaped arrest.

Recovered from their home include 65.400kg of cannabis sativa; skunk – 500grams; loud – 16grams; and Colorado – 34grams, bringing the total of drugs seized from them to 65.950 kilograms.

In Benue State, a 34-year-old Iornum Emmanuel was arrested at the NDLEA Aliade checkpoint on Sunday with different quantities of assorted illicit drugs, including tramadol – 500grams, diazepam – 1.5kg, and exol 5 – 7.9kg.

In his reaction, Chairman/Chief Executive of the NDLEA, Brigadier General Mohamed Buba Marwa (Retd), commended the commanders, officers, and men of the Nasarawa, Ondo, and Benue State commands for their commitment to the goal of ridding the country of the menace of drug abuse and trafficking.

He charged them and their colleagues in other commands to continue the offensive until the last drug cartel in Nigeria is dismantled.