The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) Kogi State command on Friday made a major breakthrough as it intercepted substances suspected to be cocaine and other hard drugs being ferried to insurgents terrorising the country in the North East.
It was learnt that the eagles eyed operatives of the command who made the four different interceptions and seizures in one day beat all the concealment tactics of the hardened couriers of the drugs and their drivers.
Parading the suspects before newsmen, the state Commandant of NDLEA, Mr Alfred Adewumi said within a space of about five hours his men on a motorised patrol along Abuja- Lokoja highway were able to intercept and seized the illicit drugs including cocaine and cannabis sativa all of which weighed about 1,120.36 kg.
The NDLEA boss who took much time to dismantle the cleverly concealed drugs before newsmen, said some of them were packaged inside charcoal sacks at the back of an open articulated vehicle while some were neatly concealed inside grains and unsuspected areas inside the vehicles.
He said one the articulated vehicles in attempt to run away hit and damaged one of the patrol vehicles and injured some of the operatives while another a blue Nissan car fled into the bush and abandoned the car after a hot chase.
While expressing displeasure over the rate of trafficking illicit drugs in the state, he said between January and June this year , a total of 7,500 kg of assorted drugs were intercepted by his command and raised concerns that most of these illicit drugs may find their way to insurgents terrorising the country in the North East.
The NDLEA boss while appealing to members of the public to give useful information that can lead to arrest of those dealing in illicit drugs in the State, said his command was more ready to put an end to use of illicit drugs in the state and to couriers passing through the state.
He gave the names of suspects and the drivers arrested for cannabis sativa as Murtala Mohammed, Mohammed Bashir, Mohammed Sani, Ukasha Musa, Abba Mukhtar. While the name of the person arrested with cocaine is withheld for further investigation.
Speaking with newsmen one of the suspects, Mohamed Bashir who said he was selling the drugs in one of the states in the North East confessed of committing the crime and pleaded for leniency.
