Video: Nigerian Authorities Destroy 220K Pounds Of Cannabis, Intercept Cocaine And Opioid Shipments

The Nigerian National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) destroyed more than 100,000 kg (220,462 lbs) of cannabis in the Ekiti forest. Between During the first week of September, the NDLEA, under the Federal Ministry of Justice also intercepted cannabis, cocaine and pharmaceutical opioids shipments heading to the United Kingdom, Ireland and Cyprus. Hidden among ladies' sanitary napkins and hair beauty products, the NDLEA discovered them at three courier firms in Lagos.

Hair cream containers contained nearly 2 kilograms of cocaine, some heading for Ireland and some for the UK. A total of 525 tramadol and ecstasy pills were heading to Cyprus, while a shipment of 200 ampoules of promethazine injection and pentazocine injection was hidden in food items and herbs heading to London, according to a press release.

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In Ekiti, a state in southwestern Nigeria, NDLEA operatives supported by the Nigerian Army, raided three camps in the Ise-Ekiti forest reserve where they discovered and destroyed more than 100,000 kilograms of marijuana across 51 hectares of farmland.

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The affected areas included Aba Saalaja with 23 hectares; Aba Paanu with 12 hectares and Aba Arogunmatidi with 16 hectares, all within the Ise-Ekiti Forest Reserve. The agency also arrested two suspects caught with 305kg of cannabis and one more with 18 kilograms of the same substance. Two people were also detained after being caught with 1300 tablets of tramadol. Over the last week NDLEA operatives conducted more operations catching drug dealers and seizing large amounts of marijuana, tramadol, and cocaine.

The chairman/chief executive officer of the NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa, praised the operational successes across the country but also urged all the agencies not to rest but to continue to enhance their efforts to reduce illegal drug supplies.

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Photo: Courtesy of Couperfield via Shutterstock