The Lagos state command of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, and the Murtala Murtala Muhammed International Airport command of the NDLEA in 2015 arrested a total of 577 drug suspects.

Disclosing this in an interview in his office in Lagos, the Lagos State commander of the NDLEA, Alhaji Aliyu Sule, stated that from the 577 drug suspects, 438 were arrested by the Lagos command of the NDLEA between January and November 2015, while the airport command arrested 139 suspects same period.

Sule disclosed further that a total of 7315 kilo grams (over 7 tonnes ) of various drugs were seized during the period.

The breakdown showed that cannabis 7313. 06 kilo grams, Heroine 413.5 grams, Cannabis sativa 480 grams were seized.
Sule noted that there has been a drop in the number of arrest this year compared to the previous years which could be attributed to the command’s new pro active disposition than before in trailing suspects.

According to him, the NDLEA Lagos command between 2011 and 2012 made a seizure of drugs between 10 tonnes and 8 tonnes compared to the 7 tonnes this year.

Sule explained that the command has continue to swoop at the drugs suspects hide out and mount road blocks on the highways to arrest suspects adding that it was responsible for the decline.

He appealed to Nigerians to cooperate with NDLEA as the war against drug trafficking was a collective responsibility.

The the Lagos State commander of the NDLEA while regretting the various attacks on his men while carrying out their duties also appealed to well meaning Nigerians, Corporate bodies and the government to come to their aid by providing logistics for them to carry out their duties more effectively.

In the same vein, the Murtala Muhammed Airport Command of the NDLEA confirmed also that the command arrested 139 drug traffickers at the airport the period under review.

The airport commander of NDLEA, Garba Ahmadu who confirmed the number of drug suspects arrested stated that out of the 139, suspects 119 were male while 20 were females.

Ahmadu stated further that the command made 590.9 kilograms of seizure.

He said between 115 and 120 cases were before the Federal High Court while 17 suspects have been convicted.

The airport commander of NDLEA explained that the command last year made a seizure of 436,065kg while it increased this year to 590,9kg..

129 suspects were arrested last year while 139 suspects were arrested this year, Ahmadu said.

He attributed the increase in arrest to officers more awareness to tricks employed by traffickers and trainings of officers .

Ahmadu enumerated means of drug concealment by drug traffickers to include, bags, shoes, injections adding that the more worrisome trend include the use of indomie pack and tomato paste to concealed drugs.

He said that officers of the agency were at alert at the airport, putting their trainings and machines to practice.

The airport commander of NDLEA, stressed the need for more training of officers and funding of the agency advising would be drug traffickers to steer clear of the airport.