The Federal Ministry of Education may soon be put on spotlight to tell Nigerians what has become of the value of students of and certificates issued by universities under its supervision, as operatives of antii-narcotic agency recovered imported liquid cannabis from a final year student of University of Port-Harcourt (UNPORT), just as a degree certificate issued by University of Uyo ( UNIUYO) was intercepted while it was used to wrap cocaine.
On Monday September 27, 2021, in Rivers state, a final year student of Fine Arts and Design, University of Port Harcourt, Mario Okiwelu was arrested for importing five variants of liquid cannabis weighing 49.6grams from United States.
Okiwelu was arrested through controlled delivery, along with his accomplice, Precious Awuse, around NIPOST area, Port Harcourt.
This was just as narcotic officers attached to some courier firms in Lagos seized different sizes of illicit drugs including 40grams of cocaine concealed in a University of Uyo degree certificate on its way to Australia.
Confirming the development, Director, Media and Advocacy,
NDLEA Headquarters, Abuja, Femi Babafemi, in a statement, added that other drugs intercepted by the narcotic Officers were: 280 grams of cannabis hidden in body cream bottles going to Cyprus; 400grams of tramadol tucked in plastic bottles heading to Australia and 1kg of Methamphetamine concealed in auto parts with Hong Kong as destination.
Also attempts by some traffickers to also import into Nigeria 20 cartons of khat weighing 126.900 kilograms through the NAHCO import shed of the Murtala Mohammed International Airport, MMIA, Lagos, were thwarted and the consignment seized. Similarly, on Wednesday September 29, one Ibrahim Kale Sulyman was arrested during cargo search operations at SAHCO export shed and sachets of tramadol weighing 76grams concealed inside black soap heading to Dubai, UAE, recovered from him.
In Kaduna, operatives arrested a widow, Aliya Idris on Saturday September 25 in the house of a wanted drug dealer, Shamsu Boda at Joji road, Tudun Wada Zaria. She was arrested during an operation at Shamsu Boda’s house. Found in her possession were 30 bottles of cough syrup with codeine and 20 sachets of rophynol with gross weight of 4.2kg and 77.5 grams respectively.
In raids across Lagos State on Wednesday, September 29, at least two drug dealers were arrested and over 1,213.2kg drugs seized. At Ikosi, Ketu, Kosofe Local Government Area,
22-year-old Peter Prosper Onome from Isoko, Delta State was arrested with 442 grams of different types of drugs including: 426 grams of Cannabis Sativa; 15 grams of Colorado; 6 grams of Cocaine; 4 grams of Rohypnol and 1 gram of Methamphetamine. In Lekki, one Justin Clement, from Michika, Adamawa State was arrested with 500 grams of Cannabis Sativa. Also on the same day, officers of the Lagos Command of the Agency raided another notorious hideout in Petti, Lagos Island where they recovered an abandoned 1,213.2kg of Cannabis Sativa.
In his reaction, Gen. Marwa commended officers and men of the FCT, Rivers, DOGI, MMIA, Kaduna and Lagos Commands of the Agency for an outstanding performance in their areas of responsibility in the past week. He charged them and their counterparts in other commands to remain vigilant and continue to exhibit the spirit and determination of the new NDLEA.
