The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) said its operatives raided a lounge in Osogbo, the Osun State capital, at the weekend, where a weird party organised for illicit substance abuse was to be held.
The operatives arrested some of the organisers who were found with drug exhibits.
The NDLEA spokesman, Mr Femi Babafemi, who disclosed this in Abuja yesterday, said the raid followed a credible intelligence report that a night party tagged: “Unholy Alliance for Stoners and Drunkards’’ was to be held at the lounge.
He stated that different types of illicit substances were to be sold and consumed by the revellers. “Soon after the organisers began to gather at Berrymist Lounge located at Ofatedo Area of Osogbo to start the party, NDLEA operatives swooped in on them. The operatives arrested the organisers and seized illicit substances and drug paraphernalia from them,” he said.
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He added: “Those arrested included Ikotu Omolayo (25), Fola Olabode (30) and Akorede Adunni Ajibola (22). The management of the lounge has been invited for investigation.
“This comes on the heels of an earlier raid on Thursday, Nov. 23 at Area 5 Forest Reserve, Ile-Ife, also in Osun where operatives recovered 156kg of Indian hemp.’’
Also, the drug law agency said it has intercepted more than two tons of illicit substances in Lagos, Ogun, Edo, Ekiti, Anambra, Ondo and Kogi states in the last one week.
According to Babafemi, the agency’s operatives stormed a warehouse at Obi Camp in Owan West Local Government Area of Edo on November 20.
They seized 338kg of Indian hemp concealed in sacks of charcoal in the raid.
The operatives equally raided Ikhin Forest in Owan East Local Government Area of Edo on Saturday, November 25 and seized 235kg of the same psychoactive substance.
“A suspect, Onah Ikechukwu (32) was arrested at Jattu in Etsako West Local Government Area of the state on Wednesday, November 22.
“The operatives seized 11,690 capsules of tramadol, 295 bottles of codeine syrup and various quantities of Molly, Indian hemp, and Methamphetamine from the suspect.
“Another raid on Wednesday, November 22 at Enu-Owa Street, Lagos Island, led to the seizure of 40,500 ampoules of pentazocine injection and 440,000 pills of tramadol in a store belonging to one fleeing Ebuka Amechi.
“Not less than 135,600 capsules of tramadol and 950gm of Indian hemp were seized from two suspects – Afamefuna Ibekwe (37), and Sunday Onweh (41) at Nkpor, Akuzor and Ose-Ogbaijo, Onitsha, respectively,’’ he stated.
Babafemi added that 37,360 pills of different psychoactive drugs and 250 bottles of codeine syrup were recovered from one Muhammed Khamis (22) on November 23 on the Okene-Lokoja-Abuja Expressway. “The drugs were being transported from Onitsha, Anambra State to Abuja,” Babafemi stated.
In Ekiti State the NDLEA operatives, Babafemi said, seized 288kg of Indian hemp at Odo-Owa Forest in Ijero Local Government Area of the state on November 25.
“At least, 116kg of Indian hemp were seized from a suspect, Chinagoram Obaru (24) who was arrested at Iju Forest on Thursday, November 23,’’ he added.
Babafemi also stated that 859kg of Indian hemp, concealed among bags of sugar in a truck for onward transportation to Mokwa, Niger State was recovered.
The consignment, he added, was loaded at Ogbese in Ondo State, and hidden among bags of cement in a truck before it was trans-loaded into another articulated vehicle in Ogun State.
“On November 24, the NDLEA operatives in Ogun State arrested two suspects – Adamu Ibrahim and Nura Sani at Ileke trailer garage, on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway.
“NDLEA Chairman, Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa (retd) commended the officers and men over the seizures and arrests.
“He charged them to remain vigilant and to double their efforts, especially as criminal networks had become desperate to make quick money preparatory to the Yuletide season,” he said.
