NDLEA INTERCEPTS COCAINE CONCEALED IN SAUDI-BOUND RELIGIOUS BOOKS, ARRESTS BANDITS SUPPLIER WITH DRUGS IN PRIVATE PART

Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have intercepted a shipment of cocaine concealed in 20 sets of religious books going to Saudi Arabia. NDLEA Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, said the cocaine consignment consists of 20 parcels with a total weight of 500 grams. Babafemi disclosed in a statement that the hard drugs shipment was uncovered at a courier company in Lagos on Tuesday April 15, 2025 when officers of the Directorate of Operations and General Investigation were searching through export going to Saudi Arabia. He said at another logistics company same day, NDLEA officers also intercepted five parcels of Loud, a strong strain of cannabis, weighing 2.8 kilograms, which was hidden in a carton coming from the United States of America.  Elsewhere in Kano, Femi Babafemi said a 22-year-old supplier of illicit substances to bandits, identified as Muhammad Mohammed, was arrested by NDLEA operatives on patrol along Bichi - Kano road while heading to Katsina with 277 ampoules of pentazocine injection taped to his thigh and private part. Babafemi said another suspect, Mohammed Abdulrahman Abdulaziz, 43, was nabbed same day at Research Rimin Kebe area of Nasarawa, Kano with 68 blocks of skunk, a strain of cannabis, weighing 30kg.  In a statement detailing some operational breakthroughs by the NDLEA, the spokesman listed other seizures as follows: * Not less than 557.2kg of skunk, 5.6kg of methamphetamine and 29.8grams of heroin were recovered from a house along Major General Isaiah Alllison Street, Opolo, Yenagoa, Bayelsa state where four suspects were arrested. The suspects were identified as Sarimiye Suwa Kurtis, 46; Roland Prosper, 34; Sarimiye Tare Paul, 45; and Fidelis Ugbesla, 46. * Similarly, a total of 1,100 kilograms of skunk were recovered from a delivery van with the driver, Ismail Abdullahi arrested in Surulere area of Lagos on Thursday 17th April.  * NDLEA operatives in Kaduna on Friday 18th April raided the hideout of a suspect, Ike Ani, 30, in Zaria, where no fewer than 31,950 pills of tramadol 225mg and diazepam were recovered. * In Kebbi, NDLEA operatives on patrol along Bagudo road on Friday 18th April intercepted a vehicle loaded with bags of charcoal coming from Malabil, Benin Republic. A search of the vehicle led to the recovery of 97kg skunk concealed in the sacks of charcoal. Three suspects: Abubakar Ibrahim, 50; Mustapha Aliyu, 32; and Bashar Lawali, 28, were arrested in connection with the seizure. * A 48-year-old Okafor Marcel was nabbed with 11.5kg skunk at Abatete, Anambra state. * NDLEA operatives in Osogbo, Osun state on Tuesday 15th April arrested Ajala Mercy, 27, with 43 litres of skushi, a mixture of black currant, cannabis and opioids recovered from her room at Dada estate, Halleluyah area of the state capital. * Two cannabis farms in Egbeta forest, Ovia North East LGA, Edo state were raided by NDLEA operatives who destroyed 3,717.8625kg of the psychoactive plant on 1.487145 hectares and recovered 136.5kg of processed cannabis. * At the Tincan seaport in Lagos, a suspect Basorun Usman Kayode, 40, who has been at large for two years was arrested by NDLEA officers in connection with the seizure of 107kg Loud imported from Cannada in 2023, while another suspect, Dauda Yakubu who distributes illicit drugs within the seaport community was arrested by a team of operatives on Monday 14th April.