From Joseph Amedu, Lokoja
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency(NDLEA) in Kogi state at the weekend intercepted and seized 1,120.36KG Illicit drugs, cocaine and cannabis sativa along Abuja-Lokoja highway.
Parading the suspects before newsmen in Lokoja, the state Commandant of NDLEA, Alfred Adewumi said within a space of about five hours his men on a patrol along Abuja- Lokoja highway were able to intercept and seized the illicit drugs including cocaine and cannabis sativa all of which weighed about 1,120.36 kg
The NDLEA boss told journalists that some of them were packaged inside charcoal sacks at the back of an open articulated vehicle while some were neatly concealed inside grains and unsuspected areas inside the vehicles.
He said one of the articulated vehicles in attempt to run away hit and damaged one of the patrol vehicles and injured some of the operatives while another others in a blue Nissan car fled into the bush and abandoned the car after a hot chase.
While expressing displeasure over the rate of trafficking illicit drugs in the state, he said between January and June this year, a total of 7,500 kg of assorted drugs were intercepted by his command and raising the alarm that most of these illicit drugs may find their way to insurgents terrorising the country in the North East.
The NDLEA boss while appealing to members of the public to give useful information that can lead to arrest of those dealing in illicit drugs in the State, said his command was more ready to put an end to use of illicit drugs in the state and to couriers passing through the state.
He gave the names of suspects and the drivers arrested for cannabis sativa as Murtala Mohammed, Mohammed Bashir, Mohammed Sani,
Ukasha Musa, Abba Mukhtar, while the name of the person arrested with Cocaine was being withheld for further investigation
Speaking with newsmen one of the suspects, Mohammed Bashir who said he was selling the drugs in one of the states in the North East confessed of committing the crime and pleaded for leniency.
