The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency has arrested a 70-year- old suspected drug trafficker in the state.
The suspect drug trafficker, identified as Rabiu Wada, was said to be supplying substances to Boko Haram insurgents and bandits in their strongholds across the state.
The agency said the suspect, who hails from Dallawa town in Niger Republic, was arrested three days ago in Niger State with 10 pallets of skunk.
This was contained in a statement issued by the spokesperson of the NDLEA, Femi Babafemi, yesterday.
According to the statement, Wada said he had brought hide from Niger Republic and after selling the goods in Lagos he used the proceeds to buy skunks which he would sell to Boko Haram terrorists and bandits in the Northwest region on his way back to his country.
The statement read, “During interrogation, the suspect claimed he sold his goods for N300,000 in Lagos and used the fund to buy 10 pallets of skunk at N25,000 each. He was on his way back to Niger Republic through the North-West where he sells drugs to bandits when he was intercepted in Jebba.”
Reacting to the arrest, the Niger State Command of the NDLEA, Alone Isaac, said the development was a further confirmation of the nexus between drug abuse and the security challenges in parts of the country.
In a similar development, NDLEA operatives in an operation backed by soldiers in Ondo State have identified and destroyed 95 hectares of three cannabis farms located in Ogbese forest.
The Ondo state Commander of the agency, Haruna Gagara, said although no one was arrested during the operation, investigation had commenced to identify and apprehend the owners of the farms.
Also, operatives of the agency in Kogi State have seized 116.1 kilogrammes of cannabis at a patrol point along Okene-Lokoja Expressway. A suspect, Sulaiman Said, was arrested.
The statement added, “Kogi State Commander of NDLEA, Alfred Adewumi, said the drug was concealed in sacks of chicken wastes loaded in a Mercedes-Benz 814 Truck with registration number, Taraba XA 366 ARD.”
