Mr. Femi Babafemi, the Director of Media and Advocacy at the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), announced in Abuja on Sunday that a quantity of suspected counterfeit currency was confiscated from a commercial bus en route from Lagos to Kano.
According to the individual, a thorough examination of the bus resulted in the confiscation of a total amount of 4.8 million USD and 57 million CFA, which were believed to be counterfeit.
Babafemi expressed his satisfaction with the imprisonment of Alhaji Umar Mohammed (also known as Dan Bala), an acting district head in Sokoto, for a duration of five and a half years due to his involvement in drug-related activities.
at October 2022, the acting district head was convicted by Justice Ahmad Mahmud at a Federal High Court in Sokoto. The conviction came after the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) filed a four-count indictment against him for engaging in drug peddling activities.
According to the NDLEA's statement to the court, Mohammed was found to be in possession of and engaged in the distribution of 436.38kg of Indian hemp, along with an additional 7kg of various psychoactive narcotics.
Mohammed was subjected to a judicial ruling wherein he received a two-year term for each of the initial two charges, accompanied by the possibility of a N1 million monetary penalty. Additionally, he was handed an eight-month sentence for each of the subsequent two charges, without any opportunity for a payment.
On October 11th, agents from the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) conducted a raid on Orue Forest in Owan West Local Government Area of Edo State. During the operation, two individuals, namely Happy Akashili (37) and Solomon Uwesue (40), were apprehended inside a cabin situated within an Indian hemp field.
According to Babafemi, the farm had a total area of 2.4 hectares and suffered significant damage. Additionally, he reported the discovery of 92kg of processed skunk at the site.
In addition, it was reported that a quantity of 49 kg of skunk was confiscated from Ogbeturu camp within the vicinity.
According to the spokesperson of the NDLEA, the agency has been actively promoting its efforts in reducing drug supply through the War against Drug Abuse (WADA) campaign, which includes initiatives at educational institutions, marketplaces, places of worship, and local communities.
According to Babafemi, a prominent component of the advocacy initiative was the WADA sensitisation lecture on the correlation between drug use and mental health, which targeted students from 15 secondary schools affiliated with the University of Ibadan.
The sensitization lecture was also conducted at educational institutions located in Badagry, Lagos State; Udi Local Government Area of Enugu State; Awka; Gombe; Benue; Zamfara; and Kano.
