from OKORO CHINEDU in Lagos, Nigeria
Nigeria Bureau
LAGOS, (CAJ News) – NIGERIA is cracking the whip on illicit drug traffickers.
This is to cleanse a reputation of the West African country as a centre for drug peddling and usage.
Last Friday, the Federal High Court in Lagos imposed a 72-year prison sentence on nine Ghanaians arrested last year for attempting to smuggle more than 10,8 tonnes of cannabis into Nigeria, through the sea.
Freeman Gazul, Adotete Joseph, Daniel Koyepti, Sottie Moses, Kanu Natte, Kanu Okonipa, Sottie Stephen, Christian Tette and Victor Wuddah have each been sentenced to eight years in prison.
Meanwhile, a pregnant woman, a nursing mother and university student are among scores arrested as Nigeria intensifies a crackdown on illicit drugs.
Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) arrested 28 suspects in the operations across 12 states in recent days.
A married pregnant woman, Hauwa Haruna, was arrested alongside a male suspect, Mohammed Mamuda, in the northeastern Yobe State.
They were intercepted with 56 blocks (31kg) of cannabis.
A nursing mother, Sa’adatu Abdullahi (35), has been arrested outside Gwagwalada in the Federal Capital Territory. This after NDLEA operatives found 510 bags of cannabis, weighing 5,64 tonnes, stored in a warehouse.
A female 200-level student of Mass Communication at National Open University of Nigeria, Mercy Nyong (30), has been arrested at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos for allegedly attempting to export 300grams of tramadol to Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
Marine officers of the NDLEA also arrested one Edet Osu James (44) in the southern Akwa Ibom during his alleged attempt to smuggle 2,4kg of cocaine to neighbouring Cameroon.
The alleged trans-border trafficker is said to have concealed the drug in two tins of powdered milk.
Retired Brigadier General Mohamed Buba Marwa, NDLEA Chairman/Chief Executive, commended officers of the anti-narcotics agency.
“He charged them and their counterparts across other commands not to rest on their oars,” said Femi Babafemi, NDLEA spokesperson.
– CAJ News