ICIR NIGERIA
OPERATIVES of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have seized 8,852 kilograms (8.8 tons) of Canadian Loud, an imported synthetic strain of cannabis, in the Lekki area of Lagos after a 30-minute gun battle with armed men escorting the consignment loaded in two long trucks.
The NDLEA, in a statement by its spokesperson Femi Babafemi on Sunday, May 7, said acting on credible intelligence, its operatives laid ambush for the traffickers along the Eleko beach road in Lekki at about 4:51 am on Thursday, May 4.
“Two long trucks conveying the illicit consignments were flagged down, but rather than stopping, the trucks escorted by armed men sped off, as a result of which there was an exchange of gunfire that lasted 30 minutes. After they were overpowered by the NDLEA operatives, the truck drivers and their armed escorts escaped into the bush, abandoning the trucks and the drug consignments.
“While one of the trucks painted red has 149 jumbo bags weighing 6,548kg, the second one with blue colour has 53 big bags with a weight of 2,304kg, bringing the total number of bags to 202 and gross weight of both to 8,852 kilograms,” the NDLEA said.
The agency added that operatives are already on the trail of an unnamed drug lord who shipped the illicit consignment into the country.
The statement further disclosed that on the same day, May 4, operatives also intercepted a Toyota Sienna vehicle driven by one Mukaila Idowu, conveying 88.3kg skunk at Otedola bridge, in the Ikeja area of Lagos.
Wnother suspect, Joseph Friday, was arrested on Saturday, May 6 at Iyana Ira, Lagos with 58.7kg cannabis sativa concealed inside his Toyota Camry car marked FST 587FH.
