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Tag: Cannabis

  • NDLEA destroys 317 tons of cannabis in Edo forest, arrests 4

    NDLEA destroys 317 tons of cannabis in Edo forest, arrests 4

    The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), says it has destroyed and set ablaze over 317,417 kgs (317.4 metric tons) of cannabis sativa in the Opuje forests, Edo.

    The Director, Media and Advocacy, NDLEA, Mr Femi Babafemi, disclosed this on Saturday in a statement made available to Journalists in Abuja.

    Babafemi said that this happened barely hours after the Chairman, NDLEA, retired Brig.-Gen. Buba Marwa, vowed to make life tough for drug barons and cartels in the new year if they failed to back out of the illicit trade.

    He said that Operatives of the agency have dealt a lethal blow to a cluster of cannabis syndicates operating in the said forest during the two-day operation.

    “At least, a police impersonator, Omoruan Theophilus, 37, who parades as a Police Inspector to convey the drugs from the forests to the cities, was arrested.

    “And three others: Aigberuan Jacob, 42; Ekeinde Anthony Zaza, 53, and Naomi Patience Ohiewere, 42, were also arrested in connection with the drugs,” he said.

    Babafemi said that the Opuje community in Owan West Local Government Area of Edo is notorious for cannabis cultivation, where the cartels invest huge resources.

    This, he said, involved cutting down economic trees of the forest and cultivating cannabis on a large scale, running into hundreds of hectares.

    “After harvest, they build warehouses inside the forest reserves and employ the services of armed youths to protect the warehouses 24/7.

    “Accessing the forest on Wednesday January 18, took hours of trekking by hundreds of NDLEA operatives who were ambushed with bonfire by armed youths on their way out of the community the following day.

    “They were, however, able to successfully leave the area without any casualty except the heavy investment losses inflicted on the cartels,” he said.

    In the same vein, the agency on Thursday, Jan. 19, through intelligence received from the Drug Enforcement Administration of the United States, busted a criminal syndicate.

    Babafemi said that the suspect was involved in the trafficking of fake American currency in Lagos.

    He said that during a combined operation carried out by NDLEA operatives with their EFCC colleagues, a total of US$269,000 counterfeit currency were recovered from the syndicate.

    This, he said, was at Oniru Shoprite area of Lekki, Lagos, where three suspects were arrested.

    He quoted Marwa as commending all the officers involved in the two special operations in Edo and Lagos for their professionalism and commitment.

    Marwa directed that the suspects arrested (with their fake dollars) in the Lekki operation be immediately transferred to the EFCC for possible prosecution.

  • NDLEA conducts massive operation, arrests 10 suspects, seizes drugs in 5 states

    NDLEA conducts massive operation, arrests 10 suspects, seizes drugs in 5 states

    The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested 10 suspects in connection with the seizure of 4,870.2kgs cannabis in some parts of Edo.

    This is contained in a statement by the Director, Media and Advocacy, NDLEA, Mr Femi Babafemi, on Sunday in Abuja.

    Babafemi said operatives stormed Ohusu forest boundary, Ovia South West Local Government Area of Edo on Wednesday.

    This, he said, was where they recovered a total of 3,159.7kgs and arrested three suspects: Effiong Udo, Daniel Asuquo Ebong and Asuquo Effiong.

    Similarly, on Saturday, operatives intercepted a Toyota Sienna space bus conveying 49 bags of cannabis sativa weighing 638.5kgs along Uwenusi road in Uhunmonde LGA.

    “Some 36kgs of the same substance, stored in the bush along Uromi/Ubiaja road, were equally recovered.

    “In another operation, three suspects: John Paul, Liberty Rolland and Aboki Stephen were arrested at Okpe in Akoko Edo with 55kgs of cannabis.

    “No less than 127kgs of cannabis sativa were seized and a suspect, Pius John, was arrested while 854kgs of the same substance were recovered when operatives raided Okpe forest where some cannabis farms were destroyed.

    “Three suspects: David Obada, Blessing Okechukwu and Odoh Sunday were caught with the 854kgs cannabis Sativa,” he said.

    In another development, Babafemi said that NDLEA operatives stormed the Aponmu forest in Idanre LGA in Ondo state.

    During the raid, 52 bags of cannabis sativa that weighed 676kgs and the truck being used to load the consignment were recovered on Oct. 16.

    He said that the trio of Christopher Amuzoga, Chikogu Samuel and Ijeoma Okenna were arrested with 690kgs of cannabis at Ipele forest on Oct.18.

    “In Kano, operatives arrested Isah Mohammed and Sandra Okafor at Dakata area on Friday after they were caught with 538 blocks of cannabis sativa.

    “This was weighing 391.2kgs; 259,000 tablets of tramadol; 100 bottles of Codeine-based syrup, and 150,000 tablets of pregabalin.

    “This followed the arrest of Abel John and Helen James with 328.7kgs C/S at Gonin gora area of Kaduna, while 5,000 tablets of tramadol and 25,000 tablets of Exol-5 were recovered along Abuja-Kaduna express road, ” he said.

    In the same vein, a suspect, Yahaya Musa, was arrested on Oct. 16 at Tashar Yari, Kaduna, with over 30,000 tablets of tramadol, diazepam and exol-5.

    “In Bauchi, a suspect, Ogbonna Ikechukwu, was arrested at Gadar Maiwa, Ningi LGA, with 67, 960 tablets of various types of psychotropic substances, ” he said.

    Babafemi said the operatives raided the Marina Market, Eket, where quantities of illicit substances were seized.

    These, he said, included N1,193 cash and N849,000 fake currencies were recovered from fleeing suspects.

  • Why we raided Abuja hotel – NDLEA

    Why we raided Abuja hotel – NDLEA

    The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) said it raided and sealed Diplomatic Suite Hotel, Asokoro, Abuja, in a joint operation with men of the Department of State Services (DSS).

    The Director, Media and Advocacy, NDLEA, Mr Femi Babafemi, said this in a statement on Thursday in Abuja.

    Babafemi said the raid was an attempt to stop a cannabis party and the launch of a suspected new psychoactive drink.

    He said about 200 attendees, including three young ladies who organised the hemp party, were currently being profiled and interviewed, while bottles of the new drink had been taken for lab analysis.

    He said the hotel was raided at 8.18 p.m. on April 20, following actionable intelligence that some youths were planning to hold a hemp party at the hotel.

    “Quantities of cannabis sativa were recovered from the pockets and bags of those arrested at the hemp party.

    “The audacious party, no doubt, is part of attempts by some elements to create a drug subculture in the Nigerian social space.

    “The NDLEA will, however, continue to work with other security agencies and relevant stakeholders, to ensure abuse of illicit substances is not allowed to get entrenched in the country under any guise,” Babafemi said.

  • Burba Marwa: We won’t allow ‘narcotic economy’ take root in Nigeria, NDLEA boss rejects legalisation of cannabis

    Burba Marwa: We won’t allow ‘narcotic economy’ take root in Nigeria, NDLEA boss rejects legalisation of cannabis

    The Chairman/Chief Executive of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) Brig. Gen. Mohammed Buba Marwa (Retd) on Friday said cannabis cannot be legalised in the country considering the current security challenges.

    Speaking during a public lecture in Akure the Ondo state capital, Marwa said “the proliferation of illicit drugs often engenders a pattern of crime, chaos and conflict.”

    The NDLEA boss was represented at the event by his Special Adviser on National Drug Control Master Plan (NDCMP) Otunba Lanre Ipinmisho.

    According to the NDLEA boss, hard drugs is the driver of high crime rate and violent killings in the inner cities of advanced world countries.

    “In developing or Third World countries, it is the escalator of strife, pogroms and civil war, and has played a big role in countries torn to pieces by tribal war, such as it is playing out in Syria, which has become the hotbed of Captagon, and Afghanistan, which controls the opium trade,” he was quoted as saying in a statement issued by his spokesman, Femi Babafemi.

    “We have seen narco-terrorism in countries like Colombia and Mexico where drug cartels are law unto themselves and are as powerful, if not more powerful, than the State. So, there are real cases, not scenarios, of where and how illicit substances played a role in a society’s rapid descent into chaos and tettering on the brink of a failed state.

    “So the pertinent question for us today is: Has drugs played any role in the festering insecurity in Nigeria? The answer is yes. Of this we have ample evidence.”

    Bearing in mind the security challenges across the country, Marwa stated, “We do not have the luxury of allowing a narcotic economy to take root and thrive in our society. Africa, nay, Nigeria has enough problems without adding the burden of narco-terrorism.

    “Of all the known illicit substances, Cannabis sativa is the only one that is native to Nigeria and it is the most abused of all illicit drugs, and from the findings of the National drug Survey of 2018, cannabis is becoming a national albatross”

    He equally warned that the population of Nigerians that depend on cannabis alone is more than the population of countries like Portugal, Greece or the Republic of Benin.

    Marwa therefore warned that the nation cannot afford to toy with the grim reality of the danger of legalising cannabis when all the needed infrastructure to monitor and control that are still far from being in place.

  • Nigeria has highest number of cannabis users in the world – NDLEA Chairman

    Nigeria has highest number of cannabis users in the world – NDLEA Chairman

    Since January 2021, drugs worth over ₦100billion have been seized and about 1,630 criminals arrested by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency.

    This is according to NDLEA Chairman, General Buba Marwa.

    Addressing journalists on Friday after meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari at the State House, Gen Marwa who gave a brief of milestones attained since he became head of the NDLEA, said it is sad how low the nation had coped as regards the illegal use of drug.

    “Nigeria has 10.6million cannabis users, this is the highest in the world, isn’t it sad?” the NDLEA Chairman asked rhetorically.

    While noting that the cash accruing from the seizures has been sent to the Central Bank, the former military administrator believed a nation with such a high record of drug use should not be contemplating the legalisation of marijuana.

    The NDLEA boss explained that scientists are yet to develop a way to make the Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) level in cannabis, drop to zero, and as such the recreational drug is still very harmful to health.

    “It’s a danger to society and we must never allow its legalization,” Mr Marwa argued, adding that “this is something we need to kill.”

    According to the NDLEA Chairman, legalization of cannabis is something that the legislature will never agree to because the lawmakers know the implications of such an action.

    “We can never support legalisation and I don’t see how the National Assembly will pass the act because I know 90 percent or more of the honourables and distinguished members in the National Assembly know the implications of their legislation.

    “They dare not go back to their constituencies if anyone signs the legislation because we are seeing the implications on the ground, the youths, the families all being destroyed because of cannabis and drugs,” Mr Marwa emphasised.

    Debates regarding a proposed legalization of cannabis in Nigeria have from time to time been brought to the fore especially since President Muhammadu Buhari appointed Gen. Marwa as NDLEA Chairman earlier in the year.

    The retired brigadier general who was a former Military Administrator of Lagos State has since taking office, stood his grounds against the legalisation of marijuana.

    In opposing the demands for the approval of cannabis in Nigeria, Marwa would always argue that the nation cannot afford to mortgage the lives of the citizens for financial gains.

    For the NDLEA Chairman, the agency will continue to burn down marijuana farms and prosecute whoever is caught doing the business.

  • Legalising cannabis will cause setback for Nigeria – Marwa

    Legalising cannabis will cause setback for Nigeria – Marwa

    The Chairman/Chief Executive of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Brigadier-General Buba Marwa, on Monday condemned the move to legalise Cannabis Sativa in Nigeria.

    He called on all well-meaning individuals to resist such an attempt by some public office holders, saying it would frustrate the war against drug abuse in the country.

    “With over 8, 634 arrests; 2,776,000 kilogrammes of drugs worth over N100 billion seized; 1,630 convictions; 3,232 cases in court, and over 4,000 drug users counselled and rehabilitated between January and now, we are already making substantial progress in our drug supply reduction and drug demand reduction efforts,” he was quoted as saying in a statement by the agency’s spokesman, Femi Babafemi.

    Marwa, who spoke when he visited Governor Abdullahi Ganduje of Kano State, added, “We are, however, convinced that the ongoing attempts by some of our elected officials to legalise Cannabis which is being abused by over 10.6 million Nigerians will be a drawback for the achievements so far.

    “This is why I want to implore Your Excellency and Kano State not to support the attempt to legalise Cannabis.”

    The NDLEA chief, who led top officials of the agency on a War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) advocacy visit to Kano, urged the governor not to support any bid by some elected officials to legalise Cannabis Sativa.

    NDLEA chief, Brigadier-General Buba Marwa, presents a souvenir to Governor Abdullahi Ganduje during a visit to the Kano State Government House on August 30, 2021.

    According to him, the NDLEA is doing so much to cut availability and accessibility to illicit drugs across Nigeria and that any attempt to legalise the illicit substance will be a setback to the progress made so far.

    Marwa warned landlords to ensure that they do not accommodate drug traffickers in their houses, as the NDLEA would not hesitate to seek forfeiture of any property used to store illicit drugs when offenders are caught.

    He asked Governor Ganduje to support the NDLEA with 25 hectares of land to build barracks in the state and a property that would house a zonal command office in Kano.

    The anti-drug agency chief commended his host for making drug test a prerequisite for public officials and those aspiring into public office in the state.

    In his response, Governor Ganduje declared his opposition to any attempt to legalise Cannabis Sativa in the country even.

    For the governor, no lawmaker from the state will support such a bid in the National Assembly and the fight against drug abuse is key to winning the battle against insecurity in the country.

    He granted the requests for land and accommodation for a zonal command and assured his guest that the Kano State government would always discourage drug abuse and trafficking.

  • 10.6m Nigerians addicted to cannabis – Marwa

    10.6m Nigerians addicted to cannabis – Marwa

    The chairman/chief executive of the National Drugs Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (rtd), has said that about 10.6 million Nigerians use cannabis.

    The chairman, who stated this at a press briefing to unveil a week-long programme of activities in commemoration of the International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Drug Trafficking in Abuja, said the NDLEA will continue to burn any cannabis farm in Nigeria and arrest all those involved.

    Speaking on the regulations of cannabis, the NDLEA boss said the negative effects of drugs are too many and Nigerians cannot afford to risk to have laws backing Cannabis for now.

    The chairman also said, “the agency’s offensive action against drug cartels across the country launched some five months ago, has yielded over 2,180 arrests of drug traffickers and the seizure of over 2 million kilograms of assorted illicit drugs. We have filed at least 2,100 drug cases in court, recording over 500 convictions with 1,549 cases pending in court.

    “These results have given us big insights into the magnitude of the drug problem.”

    Speaking on the theme for this year’s International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Drug Trafficking, Share Facts On Drugs, Save Lives, the chairman said: “it is very significant considering the unquantifiable and enormous danger posed by substance abuse. Abuse of narcotics has incapacitated the workforce of organisations and ruined communities and societies. It has brought about family disintegration, decimated the capacities of our youths and given rise to all types of crimes such as insurgency, terrorism, banditry, kidnapping, rape and violent extremism which have befallen nations including our dear country Nigeria with attendant health consequences on the users.

    “The dynamism of the drug problem has made it imperative for us to continue to deepen our knowledge and understanding of this deleterious conundrum. In this regard, sharing facts about drug abuse and illicit trafficking in narcotics, as captured by this year’s theme, will go a long way in shedding some light on hitherto hidden factors that aid predisposition to substance abuse, especially the question of new psychoactive substances.

    “Drug abuse as an enabler of all forms of criminality is a hydra-headed monster that must be crushed if we must move forward as a nation. The solution lies in having hyper-efficient anti-drug machinery, which is what the NDLEA stands for.”

    Speaking on the activities of the NDLEA, Marwa said, “we have succeeded in boosting the morale and confidence of officers and men of the NDLEA through practical steps taken to address welfare and career stagnation issues. To this end, we instituted, among other measures, a bi-monthly assessment and cash-backed award for Best Performing Commands to motivate officers and men on the field. Recently, the agency promoted 3, 506 officers who have stagnated in the past years, some for upward of 10, 15 and even 20 years on one rank. One person actually stayed 21 years on one rank.”

    While speaking, Country Representative, United Nations Office on Drugs and Crimes (UNODC), Oliver Stolpe, said use of drugs is three times higher in Nigeria when compared to global average.

    He also said cannabis, heroine, cocaine, tramadol and codeine are the drugs prevalent in Nigeria and ages between 25 to 39 are involved in the drugs more.

  • NDLEA boss, Buba Marwa rejects moves to legalise cannabis, says Nigeria will turn ‘nation of junkies, criminals’

    NDLEA boss, Buba Marwa rejects moves to legalise cannabis, says Nigeria will turn ‘nation of junkies, criminals’

    The Chairman and Chief Executive of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Brig. General Mohamed Buba Marwa has warned that current moves by some stakeholders to push for the legalisation of cannabis in Nigeria will rob the country of the gains so far made in the renewed war against drug abuse and trafficking in the country.

    The NDLEA boss spoke in Abuja on Wednesday at a national security summit organised by the House of Representatives. He said the present figure of 10.6million Nigerians abusing cannabis is frightening and enough to sound the alarm bell.

    In a statement by Femi Babafemi, NDLEA’s media director, Mr. Marwa argued that the strong nexus between drug abuse and the security challenges across the country is incontrovertible.

    According to him, “Presently, there is no bigger national issue than the issue of insecurity in Nigeria. It is one of the big challenges, if not the biggest, threatening our dear country. Insecurity is today, a full-blown malady with many manifestations such as insurgency, banditry, kidnapping, murder, robbery, reprisal killing, name it.

    “Yet there has never been a government that is more committed to ending this spate of insecurity than the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari.

    “The President has matched political willpower with resources, but the scope and frequency of these acts of destabilisation and the audacity displayed by the perpetrators call for a second, critical look at the malaise. The persistence of the problem has forced on us the necessity to start to look at likely extraneous factors that might be sustaining the resistance from the criminal elements and in doing so, try to connect the dots.

    “The permutations will lead to a list of probable causes, which will not exclude the use and abuse of illicit substances. In the final analysis, drug abuse is indeed one of the factors fueling insecurity.

    “The relationship between substance abuse and crime is a fact. What is clear is that no sane human being will rise against society to commit the kind of gross atrocities as we are witnessing in recent years, except such an individual has first hardened his heart with mind-altering substances. The use of drugs for perverted purposes is not a new phenomenon, neither is it something that just started in Nigeria. There are precedents in world history.

    “So beyond speculations and armchair theories, there is ample evidence, from report statistics and from empirical data from the field, to conclude that the use of illicit substances is a contributing factor to the worsening security situation in Nigeria. And if this is so, Nigeria should be the last country to consider a law to legalise marijuana in any shape or form.

    “Should we have such a law, we will soon become a nation of junkies and criminals. As such, I will like to caution that our lawmakers should not legalise cannabis because it will amount to taking a step forward and ten steps backward.

    “It will no doubt rob the nation of recent gains in the war against illicit drugs. In less than four months, we have been able to mop up over two million kilograms of illicit drugs, with over N90billion worth of illicit substances seized. Imagine if a fraction of this had found its way into our streets. We can’t be holding a national security summit and at the same time considering legalising illicit substances.”

    The NDLEA’s Chief Executive commended the organisers of the summit, saying it could not have come at a better time. He urged Nigerians to stand up and take ownership of the fight against insecurity in the country.

  • Alleged cannabis possession: CDQ granted bail, still under investigation ― NDLEA

    Alleged cannabis possession: CDQ granted bail, still under investigation ― NDLEA

    Nigerian rapper, CDQ has been granted bail by the Nigerian Drug Law Enforcement Agency, though he remains under investigation.

    TheNewsGuru reports that on Wednesday, the ‘Ibile Mugabe’ crooner was arrested by NDLEA operatives in his Lekki residence.

    He was said to have been arrested by the anti-drug enforcement agency for allegedly violating the drug law following an intelligence report.

    NDLEA’s Director, Media, and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, confirmed his arrest, saying the case was still being probed as some substance known as ‘loud’ ― a cannabis variant was found in the rapper’s house.

    Babafemi said, “Yes, CDQ was arrested in his house at Lekki for being in possession of cannabis. He was arrested based on intelligence. As of last night, he was granted administrative bail, but he is expected back into custody today because it is an ongoing investigation.

    Some substances were found and he mentioned some names of some other big artistes. So, it is an ongoing investigation.The outcome of the investigation would determine what would happen. There are cases whereby the investigation shows some sufficient infractions, and then the case will go to court. There are other cases whereby if the quantity is insignificant, we will bring him in for counselling and possible rehabilitation. Those are likely scenarios that will happen”, he told Punch.

    CDQ however took to his Instagram page on Wednesday night insinuating that someone was trying to set him up.
    He wrote, “No sleep for the wicked. Iyalaya yin o ni sun for dis Lagos… They tryna set me up today but Olohun wa.”(sic)

     

  • Customs intercepts cannabis sativa with DPV of N694m [Photo]

    Customs intercepts cannabis sativa with DPV of N694m [Photo]

    The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Western Marine Command (WMC), has intercepted cannabis sativa with a Duty Paid Value (DPV) of N694, 575, 000.

    The NCS has also handed the banned substance to the Nigeria Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).

    Comptroller Olugboyega Peters of the WMC said at a news conference on Friday in Lagos that the command also intercepted other items such as rice and bales of clothing with a DPV of N687, 446 000, in the first quarter of 2021.

    According to him, in 2020, the command seized over 10 tonnes of cannabis sativa (marijuana) valued at over a billion naira.

    “Here we are today showcasing another feat of arrest of marijuana by officers and men of the command.

    “On March 27, our operatives of Coastal and Harbour Patrol (Bar-Beach), on credible intelligence along Ibeche Beach on the high sea, accosted, intercepted and arrested two wooden boats laden with sacks suspected to contain marijuana (HS Code 0602.90 of Common External Tariff (CET).

    “This is together with six suspects, as empowered by Customs and Excise Management Act, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004, as amended.

    “The goods together with the suspects were brought to WMC.

    “Upon physical counting, it was found to be 147 sacks of marijuana with an average of 45kg per sack, giving an estimated total of 6,615kg with a DPV of N694, 575, 000.

    Peters said that WMC had collaboration with the NDLEA, adding that NCS handed over the marijuana and the suspects to NDLEA in the interest of national security.

    He said that the United Nation Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) headed by Miss Siji Song had on March 16, in fulfillment of its promise of installing Teleconferencing CISCO WEBEX equipment, handed over the equipment to the command.

    He said that the equipment would aid operations of the command and assist security agencies in fighting piracy in the maritime industry.

    “The equipment will be fully installed when all the enabling tools are put in place by the service,” he said.

    Peters said that making the society free of drugs abuse was a collective one, urging that all hands should be on deck to achieve the aim.

    “You can imagine the havoc the marijuana of this magnitude could have caused in our society if this seizure has not been made.

    “Let me warn unscrupulous elements to desist from smuggling and look for a legitimate means of livelihood.

    “Operatives of WMC are always combat-ready to bring smuggling to its barest minimum.

    “No amount of distraction will deter us from enforcing Federal Government’s fiscal policies; we will remain resolute no matter whose ox is gored.

    “I urge the NDLEA to invite us during the destruction of this marijuana and a copy of certificate of destruction issued to the NCS for record keeping,” he said.

    Mr Samuel Gazama, Commander, NDLEA, Apapa Special Command, Lagos, said that the cannabis intercepted was the type being cultivated in Ghana which, he said, was more potent than the one grown in Nigeria.

    He said that the seizure saved Nigeria and its image.

    “We want the media to help to sensitive the public on the dangers of what we are trying to stop in our society.

    “On behalf of the Chairman of the NDLEA, retired Brig.-Gen. Buba Marwa, we thank the WMC and the controller-general of customs for the new leaf of synergy and cooperation that is really coming up between customs and NDLEA.

    “Even if we do not have the suspects, the fact that NCS was able to stop this from going into the society, is a big achievement, and I say thumbs up to you and your men.