As part of efforts in saving the teeming population in Lagos State from danger of drug abuse, The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, Lagos State Command has arrested a member of a notorious drug syndicate which operates between Lagos and Osun State.

Speaking to newsmen while parading the suspect, Promise Achuenu, the State Commander of NDLEA, Barrister Ralph Igwenagu, said the suspect was arrested when the Command carried out an operation in Ayobo area of Lagos after a long period of surveillance.

According to Igwenagu, over five tons of cannabis sativa was seized during the raid and efforts are in progress to arrest the fleeing members.

The State Commander while appreciating the good people of Lagos State for their discreet information, warned criminal elements who wish to take advantage of low level of security presence in the State to perpetrate criminal activities to desist from such act.

Igwenagu says the command intercepted a five thousand three hundred and seventy-one kilogram of cannabis worth over fifteen million naira.

He said, “Based on information, our officers raided a notorious syndicate somewhere in Ayobo, Lagos State, and made this very monumental seizure. We have been doing a lot to trace these syndicates because they are notorious for bringing drugs from Osun State, Ondo State to Lagos, and we were able to make the seizure and arrested one of the members of the syndicate.

“Others are still on the run. We are hopeful that in no distant time, they too will be arrested and made to face the full wrath of the law.

He added, “This is the biggest single seizure that we have done in the last five years. The total quantity of drugs involved is over five tones at one particular time, at exactly 5, 371kg at one single seizure.

“We have made very big seizures in the past but not in this mode at one particular time and that shows the level of drugs that can come into Lagos State and we are particularly happy that we can remove this out of circulation and it will save a lot of Nigerians.”

47-year-old Achienu Promise apprehended by the command said he was co-opted into moving the drugs from Osun State to Lagos.

In his confession, he said, “They called me to carry load from Ikire, Osun State. When I got there, I discovered that it was cannabis they wanted me to carry. I had no option not to do it because I had no money to buy diesel to go back. I begged them to give money to buy diesel, they refused and said I must carry the cannabis.”

He added, “I called the owner of the vehicle that diesel had finished and needed money to go back but he refused to send money to me.

He said it was his first time engaging in the ferrying of cannabis.

“The house in Ayobo that NDLEA raided to seize cannabis is not my house. It is the place I was directed to offload the drugs. They promised to pay me N50, 000 but they just paid me N15,000 to buy diesel. They promised to give me the balance.”

Igwenagu, who estimated the value of the prohibited drugs to be worth over N15 million, said the “NDLEA will apprehend every criminal element who wants to use this period to perpetrate crimes”.