In check mating the incessant smuggling of cannabis through the land borders into the country as it had become an eyesore making it the order of the day for government agencies to be on the look out for deviant unpatriotic citizens to be brought to book, the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) had prosecuted 39 persons between January and April over smuggling of cannabis within Lagos state sub region.
The Staff Officer in charge of operations and intelligence of NDLEA, Lawal Isiaka Opeloyeru who gave the hint when taking delivery of cannabis seized by the Federal Operations Unit Zone A of the Nigeria Customs Service in Lagos said that most of the cannabis were smuggled from Togo and Ghana to Nigeria through the land borders and creeks surrounding Lagos State, adding that some of the weeds were planted in Nigeria.
Opeloyeru added that efforts in the past to liaise with Ghanian government to nip the illicit trade in the bud yielded no positive result but insisted that the two countries are still working together.
“We have prosecuted about 39 suspects this year in Lagos s state command alone. Some of them were convicted and are presently serving their terms of imprisonment.
“Some of the drugs are coming from Nigeria, some from Togo, some from Ghana.
“In 2016, when something like this was arrested, we contacted our colleagues in Ghana and they tried their best even though we couldn’t hit any positive result but we are working together, ” he stated.
He however called on Nigerians to join in the fight against the menace of drug peddling in the country because according to him, it is capable disrupt the peace and security of the country.
He said the suspects when arrested, often adduce their drug peddling to non employment in the country which he said was not a good reason for anyone to go into drugs.
Earlier, Controller, FOU Zone A, Nigeria Customs Service, Comptroller Uba Garba Mohammed said the seized weeds were intercepted along Olorunda axis of Ogun State South West, based on intelligence report.
Uba noted that the seizure of 570 parcels and 98 bags of Indian hemp is so far the highest recorded by the unit. “It is the highest seizure of such hard drugs in the history of FOU A.
“You all know what would have happened if it got to the wrong hands undetected. In the spirit of inter agency relationship, the seized India hemp will be handed over to the NDLEA for further investigation.
He further raised the alarmed that “There was a mob attack against our operatives but that never deterred us from performing our statutory responsibilities
