The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) says its operatives have arrested an 85-year-old woman with 179 kilograms of cannabis in Edo state.
In a statement issued on Sunday, Femi Babafemi, NDLE spokesperson, said operatives also intercepted a Saudi Arabia-bound consignment of cannabis concealed in a gallon of palm oil at the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport.
Babafemi said the arrests and seizures formed part of a series of operations across several states, during which operatives recovered cannabis, tramadol, diazepam and other illicit substances.
He said the elderly suspect, identified as Grace Ehimeka, was arrested in Warake, Owan east LGA of Edo, during a raid conducted between October 15 and 16.
According to him. five other suspects were arrested in the operations across Warake, Ivhiaro and Ewe/Irue communities.
They include Ayo Aigberadion, 53, who was found with 220.8kg of cannabis; Ali Garba, 57, with 5.852kg; Habib Braimoh, 45, with 100 grams; Musa Mubid, 35, with 2kg of cannabis, cannabis seeds, tramadol, Swinol and diazepam; and Hope Okoro, 35, with 237 grams of cannabis described as Loud.
At the Kano airport, the NDLEA spokesperson said operatives on Friday, October 16, intercepted a female passenger, Fatimah Ahmad, during the outward clearance of an Ethiopian Airlines flight to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, via Addis Ababa.
Babafemi said the officers found 511.75 grams of cannabis in a gallon of palm oil in her possession.
“Ahmad reportedly told the operatives that her cousin, Abubakar Yahaya, had given her the gallon. Yahaya was subsequently arrested at the airport car park,” he said.
In Lagos, NDLEA operatives raided a store at Idumota market on October 14 and arrested Elizabeth Chidera Kalu, recovering 10,600 ampoules of diazepam injection and 6,500 tablets of Molly.
The following day, officers arrested two men in Mushin: Idowu Daudu, 35, with 59.95kg of cannabis, and Ahmed Oniyinde, 35, with 61.23kg of the substance.
Two other suspects, Tajudeen Adeduntan, a truck loading manager, and his assistant, Azeez Sikiru, were arrested after operatives intercepted a truck along Iyana Oba on October 15.
A search of the vehicle led to the recovery of 18,000 tablets of tramadol 250mg concealed in cartons labelled as Rambo insecticide.
In another operation in Ondo state on October 17, operatives raided a cannabis farm in the Okemoro Isinbode camp forest and destroyed 7,500kg of cannabis cultivated on three hectares of land.
Five suspects were arrested during the operation. They were identified as Asikpo Ekpeyoung, 43; Solomon Okpani, 22; Ubong Friday, 35; Joseph Friday, 22; and Ekenimi Seth, 35.
The agency said officers also recovered 92 bags of cannabis weighing 1,267kg, 11kg of cannabis seeds and 3kg of fresh stems.
In a separate operation in Owo, Ondo state, officers recovered 375kg of cannabis from 25 bags at a hideout in Ameyinti. The suspect, 53-year-old Okunebe Ndidi, was tracked to the location on October 16.
In Bauchi state, officers intercepted a Volkswagen Golf wagon driven by Shamsu Garba, 35, at Ragwam village, Katagum LGA, on October 14.
The operation led to the recovery of 894,800 pills of tramadol capsules and Exol-5 tablets.
On the same day, operatives patrolling the Bauchi-Gombe road recovered 291 blocks of cannabis weighing 265kg from an abandoned vehicle at Tudun Natsira village.
In Kano state, Ali Abdullahi, 38, and Ibrahim Adamu, 23, were arrested along the Zaria-Kano road on October 13, with 30,100 tablets of tramadol 225mg.
Murtala Dayyabu, 54, was also arrested at Niger Street, Malan Kato, on October 14, with 100,000 tablets of Exol-5.
In Kaduna state, a raid at Kayimi village led to the arrest of Mohammed Sani, 48; Zaharadeen Shafiu, 29; and Yakubu Abdullahi, 20, with 496.5kg of cannabis.
Another suspect, John Ayo David, 39, was arrested at Food Palace, Ali Akilu Road, Kaduna, with 49,500 tablets of tramadol 225mg.
In Abuja, NDLEA operatives arrested 42-year-old Odo Jonas Ejike at Utako on October 17, recovering 29,500 capsules of tramadol.
The agency also reported the arrest of two men in Mushin, Lagos, and other suspects in its operations across the country.
