The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested 534 persons in connection with drug crimes across the nation in an ongoing clampdown operation on drug joints nationwide aimed at ensuring a hitch-free inauguration of new administration both at the central and at state levels.
A statement on Friday, 19 May, 2023, by the spokesman of the anti-narcotics agency, Femi Babafemi read: “The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, has launched a nationwide raid of drug joints in an exercise code-named Operation Mop Up as part of law enforcement efforts to remove enablers of crime and violence in the form of illicit substances and those who deal in them with a view to ensuring peaceful inauguration of new administrations at national and sub-national levels across the country on May 29.”
Babafemi said: “Not less than 534 suspects have been arrested in the first few days of the commencement of the operation, during which tons of illicit drugs including cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine, tramadol, codeine-based syrup, cannabis sativa and various new psychoactive substances among others, were recovered across the states and the FCT.”
He revealed that top on the list of states with high arrests and seizures are Lagos, Kano, Kaduna, Rivers, Bayelsa, Adamawa, Osun, Benue, Plateau and Abuja (FCT).
Babafemi said the Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of the Agency, Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa (Retd) who ordered the operation commended all the officers and men of the state commands and other formations involved in the exercise for their professionalism and following the NDLEA standard operating procedure.
Marwa said: “I am impressed by the level of compliance with the directive to all our commands and formations to dismantle all drug joints within their areas of responsibility, mop up all illicit substances in such locations and arrest all those culpable.
“This will in no small measure take out of the equation, enablers of crime and violence such as illicit drugs, their dealers and all those relying on mind altering substances to disrupt the May 29 inauguration ceremonies across the states and the Federal Capital Territory.”
He however charged them to continue with the operational maxim of offensive action against drug cartels and traffickers until the last gramme of illicit drug is taken out of the streets and communities across the country.
