NDLEA impounds 2,601.5kg of Indian hemp, seizes N3m bribe

NDLEA impounded 2,601.5kg of Indian hemp and 102,500 very strong anaesthetic pills in eight states in the last one week.

NDLEA’s spokesman, Mr Femi Babafemi stated in Abuja on Sunday that N3 million some of the suspects offered NDLEA officials as bribe was also seized and would be used as exhibit in their prosecution.

He stated that the drugs were impounded in Plateau, Edo, Delta, Taraba, Kogi, Kano, Lagos and Adamawa.

He stated also that 309kg of Indian hemp was recovered from a Bauchi-bound Toyota Camry car intercepted on Bauchi Road, Jos on Saturday and driven by a 37-year-old suspect, Godwin Ojo.

He added that 718kgs of Indian hemp was also seized in an uncompleted building at Sabongida-Ora town in Owan West Local Government Area of Edo.

“In Delta, at least 250.3kg of Indian hemp was recovered from three suspects: Wilson Ejougo (43), Chuks Okpor (33) and Grace Isaiah (51), in raids in Abbi town, in Ndokwa West Local Government Area and in Asaba.

“A suspect, Umar Halidu (35), was arrested with 18kg of Indian hemp at Mutum Biyu, in Gassol Local Government Area of Taraba.

“The trio of Ali Abdulwahab (48), Bashir Musa (31), and Ibrahim Shuaibu Abdullahi (38), were nabbed with 532kg of Indian hemp in their truck in Kogi,’’ Babafemi stated.

He added that at least 189 blocks of Indian hemp weighing 131kg were seized from a suspect, Shafi’u Abubakar (29) in Mariri area of Kano.

In Lagos, the NDLEA seized 119.4kg of Indian hemp.

The NDLEA spokesman also stated that 523.8kg of Indian hemp was seized in a bus heading to Port Harcourt on Lagos-Ibadan Expressway on Sunday, Jan 22.

“Four suspects: Okechukwu Umen; Lanre Adebayo Ismaila (47), Adeshina Adigun (50) and Emmanuel Omijeh (42) were arrested in connection with the seizure,’’ he stated.

Babafemi stated that the 102,500 very strong anaesthetics pills were recovered from the store of a mobile dealer at Old Park, Mubi, in a joint operation with military personnel in Adamawa.