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Troops of 192 Battalion, 81 Division, Nigerian Army, have arrested two transnational drug smugglers with 296 wraps of illicit substance suspected to be cannabis sativa in Ogun State.
The Director, Army Public Relations, Major General Onyema Nwachukwu, said the troops, acting on credible intelligence, intercepted a suspected transnational drug syndicate operating with a Sienna 2001 Model Space Bus, with registration number Lagos APP 129 EF, loaded with illicit substances, suspected to be Cannabis Sativa.
He said the suspects were intercepted along Balogun border in Ogun State on Sunday, January 14, 2024. Maj. Gen. Nwachukwu said the troops while conducting a thorough search on the vehicle detected layers of compartments packed with 296 wraps of substance suspected to be marijuana.
He said following preliminary investigation, it was revealed that the wraps of illicit substance were being transported from Benin Republic, through Ilara border communities en route Ifo in Ogun State.
The Army spokesman stated: “It was further revealed that it took the transnational drug traffickers five months to conceal the substance for delivery to their clients.” He added that the suspects have been taken into custody for further necessary actions, after a failed attempt to bribe troops with N12,000,000.00.
He identified the suspects as one Mr Adigun Olatunji, age 54 years and Mr Michael Atanda aged 18 years, both from Ilara Imeko in Afon LGA of Ogun State, but residing in Benin Republic. Other items recovered from the suspects included one Benin Republic National ID card, one Nigerian National ID Card and two small Itel mobile phones.
Others were one Benin Republic driver’s license, a Benin Republic International Passport, six Benin Republic SIM packs, two Benin Republic SIM cards, one Nigerian driver’s license, one power bank and one MP3 player.
Troops also recovered a memory card, local charms, as well as the sum of N52,700.00 only from the suspects. The Army spokesman said the suspects and all the items recovered were in safe custody pending handover to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) for prosecution.
LEADERSHIP reports that troops of the Battalion have in recent times made huge operational breakthroughs that led to the confiscation of large cache of ammunition and illicit substances across the Nigerian and Benin Republic border on the November 12, 2023.
The Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen Taoreed Lagbaja, while commending the troops for their vigilance and commitment, further charged them to sustain the tempo in the interest of national security for the common good of all Nigerians.
