Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have uncovered a clandestine laboratory used for the production of Colorado — a potent synthetic strain of cannabis — in a residential building at Ajao Estate, Isolo, Lagos.
The agency said the operation followed months of intelligence gathering on locally produced Colos after several intercepted consignments earlier in the year indicated that the psychoactive substance, once imported, was now being manufactured domestically.
The raid, carried out on October 30, led to the arrest of 30-year-old Stephen Kelechi Imoh, alleged owner of the lab. Recovered from the building were 16.2 kilograms of freshly cooked Colos, 1.7kg of ADB-CHMNACA Cannabinol, 4.5kg of Potassium Carbonate, and 91 litres of Dibromobutane.
In a separate operation in Mushin, Lagos, NDLEA officers arrested 28-year-old Afeez Salisu, also known as Malu, and seized 16.4kg of Ghana Loud and Colorado variants of cannabis from his enclave on November 1.
Another major breakthrough came at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport (MMIA) where a 20-year-old music artist, Godspower George Osahenrumwen (stage name Steady Boy), was arrested while attempting to take delivery of a consignment of Loud concealed in three imported bathtubs from the United States. The drugs, weighing 77.2kg, were traced to a syndicate allegedly led by his manager, Zion Osazee Omigie (a.k.a Zee Money), who is currently at large.
Across the country, NDLEA operatives recorded several other major seizures:
- Kaduna State: Interception of 84,710 tramadol capsules en route from Onitsha to Bauchi and arrest of Musa Abdulkarim, 27. Another suspect, Hamza Musa, 47, was caught with 32,946 bottles of Akuskura, a new psychoactive substance, while Saidu Nafiu, 30, was nabbed with 131.5kg of skunk in Igabi LGA.
- Ogun State: A total of 1,779kg of skunk was recovered from three suspects — Seun Olaniyi (24), Rauf Asogba (28), and Ayinla Adeniyi (50) — in Abeokuta.
- Edo State: Two Sienna buses conveying 1,455kg of skunk were intercepted at Uhunmwode LGA.
- Ondo State: Operatives seized 2,829kg of skunk from a female suspect, Mrs. Ige Olarewaju, and another 737kg from Samuel Adebayo.
- Kwara State: 532,600 pills of tramadol and exol-5 were recovered from a truck in Ilorin.
- Taraba State: 30,370 pills of tramadol and 177 grams of methamphetamine were seized from two suspects conveying the drugs from Onitsha to Yola.
- Bauchi State: 596.4kg of skunk was recovered from Jamilu Mustapha (46) in Ningi LGA.
- Lagos (Badagry): 76.5 litres of skuchies, a cocktail of skunk, opioids and blackcurrant drink, were recovered from Ige Oluwale (50).
Meanwhile, the NDLEA said its War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) sensitization activities continued across schools, religious centres, and communities nationwide.
Commending the officers for their “resilience and professionalism,” NDLEA Chairman/Chief Executive Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd.) reaffirmed the agency’s resolve to dismantle all drug cartels operating within Nigeria and ensure the forfeiture of their assets to the Federal Government.
“We will continue to deny drug syndicates the benefits of their criminal enterprise,” Marwa said.
