By Daniel Agbo
Makurdi
Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) Benue state Command have intercepted a truck loaded with compressed cannabis sativa along Otukpo-Aliade Federal Highway.
State commander of NDLEA, Mrs. Florence Ezeonye, while displaying the intercepted illicit goods, yesterday in Makurdi, said the truck was conveying the substance from Edo state to Maidugeri, Borno state through Benue.
The NDLEA state commander lamented the large quantity of the substance, saying it was alarming and outrageous, especially with the way and manner it was packaged.
According to her, this was the first time the command would be recording such unique and important seizure since its inception in the state in 2003.
She disclosed that the arrest was achieved following intelligence got over two weeks ago indicating that a vehicle-load of such substance would be heading towards the state.
“The arrest was made out of intelligence we got over two weeks ago; we went into action, waiting and watching for such vehicle to pass.
“We stopped several vehicles that had such description, but on the 12th of November, 2017, about 7:35pm, the particular vehicle was finally apprehended,” she said.
According to her, when the suspects got to the point of search, they presented their truck as a vehicle carrying building materials because on top of the cannabis sativa, fine building stones were wrapped in small, small cement bags just to deceive the officers but they were profiled.
“From the interrogation we have done so far, the driver of the truck said when they get to Maidugeri, some of the cannabis sativa, will leave the shores of Nigeria as an export product,” she added.
The state commander disclosed that Nigeria remained the highest producer and exporter of cannabis sativa in the world, while the rest of the illicit drugs like cocaine, opium, etc are being exported into the country.
He expressed happiness over the feat achieved by the command, adding “each time we made arrest, we believed we have taken drugs out of circulation more so that Christmas is fast approaching where a lot of activities will be going on.
“One truck load of drugs taken out of circulation shows that you have saved millions of lives.”
