NDLEA Intercepts 380 Rounds of Ammunition, Seizes 1.2 Tonnes of Cannabis in Major Drug Busts

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has intercepted 380 rounds of military-grade ammunition in Kaduna State and arrested a couple linked to the possession of more than 1.2 tonnes of cannabis as part of a series of coordinated operations across the country.

The agency’s Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, disclosed the developments in a statement issued on Sunday, highlighting significant arrests and drug seizures recorded in Kaduna, Lagos, Niger and Enugu states.

According to Babafemi, NDLEA operatives on patrol along the Abuja-Kaduna Highway near Jere intercepted a 30-year-old suspect, Sunusi Musa, on May 24 while allegedly transporting 380 rounds of 7.62mm military-grade ammunition to Katsina State.

He said the suspect and the recovered ammunition have since been handed over to the appropriate security agency for further investigation and necessary action.

In a separate operation in Kaduna, NDLEA officers arrested a couple, Musa Sunday and Mercy Sunday, alongside a 38-year-old suspect, Salomi Ezekiel, following the discovery of 100 jumbo bags of skunk weighing 1,246 kilograms at a residence in the Gonin Gora area of the state.

The agency also uncovered consignments of hard drugs concealed in water purifier machines shipped from the Netherlands to Lagos. The illicit substances, comprising three kilograms of ketamine and 199 grams of MDMA, popularly known as ecstasy, were recovered at a courier facility on May 26.

Babafemi said the drugs had been carefully hidden inside the machines in an attempt to evade detection.

In Niger State, NDLEA operatives acting on intelligence raided a warehouse in Gidan Kukah, Bosso Local Government Area, where they recovered 457 kilograms of skunk on May 27. A suspect, Godwin Zakka, 46, was later arrested at his residence in the Gbeganu area of Minna in connection with the seizure.

Similarly, operatives on patrol along the Onitsha-Enugu Expressway intercepted a commercial vehicle travelling to Taraba State. A search of the vehicle led to the recovery of 22,000 tramadol pills, 100 ampoules of pentazocine and 200 grams of bromazepam. One suspect, identified as James Maigari Wisdom, was arrested.

Beyond enforcement operations, the agency said its commands and formations nationwide continued anti-drug abuse awareness campaigns through sensitisation programmes in schools, workplaces, religious centres and communities.

Commending officers involved in the successful operations, NDLEA Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa (retd.), praised personnel of the Kaduna, Niger and Enugu commands, as well as the Directorate of Operations and General Investigation, for their commitment to combating drug trafficking.

Marwa urged officers across the country to sustain efforts aimed at reducing the supply of illicit drugs while intensifying public enlightenment campaigns against substance abuse.