The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) says it has recovered 2,326 kilogrammes of “Loud,” a potent strain of imported cannabis, from a mansion in Lekki, Lagos.
In a statement posted on X on Sunday, the agency’s spokesperson, Femi Babafemi, said operatives of its Special Operations Unit raided the residence on Friday and uncovered 4,000 parcels of the illicit substance valued at more than N5.8 billion.
According to the statement, the mansion, located at 36 African Lane, Lekki Phase 1, was being used for the storage and distribution of drugs.
The agency said two Mercedes-Benz buses and several designer sachets allegedly used for packaging the drugs for retail distribution were also recovered during the operation.
“Loud” is regarded as a highly potent strain of cannabis often linked to imported or synthetic variants that command high prices in Nigeria’s illicit drug market.
The latest seizure adds to a series of recent interceptions involving synthetic drugs and imported cannabis in Lagos and other parts of the country.
In recent months, the NDLEA has uncovered clandestine drug factories in Lekki and intercepted consignments concealed in food containers and vehicles along major transit routes.
Other operations
In another operation in the Ijora Badia area of Lagos, NDLEA operatives raided two facilities where a substance known as “skuchies” was allegedly being produced.
The agency stated that two suspects, Bose Jamiu and Gbenga Gege, were arrested during the raid. Officers reportedly recovered 270 litres of the substance and 106 grams of Tramadol 225mg from the premises.
Outside Lagos, the agency said its operatives arrested three persons with disabilities in separate anti-drug operations in Anambra and Kwara states.
One of the suspects, 60-year-old Romanus Nwabara, was arrested in Akpaka Forest, Onitsha, after NDLEA operatives reportedly acted on intelligence.
The agency said officers recovered 250 grammes of skunk packaged in retail sachets from him.
In another raid in Ogbunike, Anambra State, officers arrested a 25-year-old suspect identified as Amos Kenneth with quantities of Tramadol, Diazepam, Exol-5 and skunk.
Similarly, NDLEA operatives on patrol on the Bode Saadu axis of Kwara State intercepted a commercial vehicle. They allegedly found 6.3 kilogrammes of skunk concealed in a school bag belonging to a passenger, Usman Salisu.
The agency also announced the arrest of Emmanuel Osita Okeke, 38, who was allegedly caught with 129 kilogrammes of skunk at Nyanya-Karu in Nasarawa State.
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In Kogi State, NDLEA operatives intercepted a J5 commuter bus along the Okene-Lokoja highway. A search of the vehicle, according to the agency, led to the recovery of 76 jumbo bags of skunk weighing 766 kilogrammes.
Three suspects, Mathew Omohove, Ebuka Desmond and Babangida Musa, were arrested in connection with the seizure.
The agency said its commands across the country also continued the War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) sensitisation campaign in schools and communities during the past week.
Reacting to the operations, the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Buba Marwa, commended officers involved in the arrests and seizures.
Mr Marwa urged operatives across the country to sustain the agency’s drug supply reduction efforts alongside public sensitisation campaigns against substance abuse.