NDLEA Arrests Pregnant Woman, Widow Over N3.2 Million Counterfeit Cash, Illicit Substances

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) intercepted a commercial bus carrying N3.2 million in counterfeit cash owned by three suspects: an eight-month pregnant woman named Favour Peter, 24, Esther Adukwu, 27, and Ochigbo Michael, 39.

They were later apprehended at Jabi Park in Abuja in a follow-up operation last Tuesday following the discovery of the counterfeit naira notes in Lokoja, Kogi state.

According to a statement issued on Sunday by the anti-narcotics agency’s spokesman, Femi Babafemi, this is even as NDLEA officers in collaboration with men of the Nigerian Navy Ship Lugard base, Lokoja intercepted 37-year-old Aliyu Lawal along Lokoja-Abuja road last Monday and recovered 620 blocks of cannabis weighing 310 kilogrammes from him, while 10 sacks of the same psychoactive substance weighing 98 kilogrammes were seized along Okene-Lokoja-Abuja express way by NDLEA operativ

Mrs. Theodora Ita, a 40-year-old widow and mother of two, was arrested by NDLEA operatives last Monday in Bassey Edom, Calabar, for producing and selling a lethal new psychoactive substance, NPS, locally known as ‘Combine,’ which is a mixture of different strains of cannabis and opioids soaked in raw gin. At the time of her arrest, 18 litres of the dangerous substance were discovered in used paint drums on her.

In her statement to the NDLEA, Edom claimed that she began illicit drug production and distribution in October 2023. Another suspect, Godwin Okon, 48, was apprehended last Tuesday in Calabar’s Essit Ebum area with 39.4 kilogrammes of cannabis sativa.

While two suspects, Sani Mohammed, 43, and Christopher Eze, 64, were apprehended in Kano’s Sabon Gari area on Tuesday with 900,000 opioid pills recovered, NDLEA agents on patrol along Imo state’s Owerri-Onitsha road intercepted a logistics truck with registration number JGB 403XB on Friday and discovered 230 blocks of cannabis sativa weighing 119 kilogrammes hidden under household items after a thorough search.

Babafemi disclosed that at least 252 kilogrammes of cannabis were seized during a raid at Ijesa Isu forest, Ekiti state on Saturday while four suspects: Adamu Umar, 39; Abdullahi Gimba, 27; Julius Uduakhomu, 28; and Michael Sunday, 24, were nabbed loading 40 kilogrammes of same substance to the engine compartment of a gas truck at Agho village, Owan East local government area of Edo state. He added that two motorcycles used in conveying the consignment to where the gas truck heading to the North was parked, were also recovered.

In Ogun state, a suspect, Ismaila Ogun, was arrested last Friday with 79 kilogrammes of cannabis at Imeko, while 18-year-old Friday Abah was apprehended with 410 kilogrammes of the same substance when NDLEA agents raided Obatedo camp, Itaogbolu forest, Akure North local government area, Ondo state.

The NDLEA spokesperson stated with the same zeal, the various commands of the agency across the country.
continued with the War Against Drug Abuse, WADA, advocacy campaign in the past week.

Meanwhile, NDLEA Chairman/Chief Executive Officer Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa (Retd) congratulated officers and men from the agency’s Kogi, Cross River, Ondo, Ekiti, Ogun, Imo, Kano, and Edo commands on their outstanding achievements in drug supply reduction, and praised them and their counterparts in all commands across the country for intensifying their WADA advocacy lectures aimed at reducing drug demand.