By; RAYMOND TEDUNJAYE, Lagos
Two suspected illicit drugs traffickers and large quantities of Cannabis Sativa intercepted by men of the 9 Brigade of the Nigerian Army have been handed over to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) in Lagos.
The Brigade Commander, Brigadier General Adegoke Adetuyi handed over the suspects and exhibits to the Assistant State Commander in charge Intelligence, Innocent Adinna, NDLEA Lagos State command, at the 9th Brigade Headquarters,Ikeja Cantonment. Lagos.
According to Brig.Adetuyi, the suspects identified as Matthew Atipaso, 24, and Joshua, 34 were apprehended on 18th July, 2023 along with the consignment in a truck along one of the international border boundaries.
” On the 18th of July 2023, a truck getting to a check point along one of the international borders boundary area intercepted a truck that was carrying some substances suspected to be India hemp in it force compartment.
” The conceal item was intercepted, prompting the Army to carry out investigation and proper check.
” The Army realized that about 397 wraps of the items were suspected to be Indian Hemp.
“This discovery is barely three days when the same troops at that same location intercepted another truck that was conveying ammunition into the country through the land border within the brigade area of responsibility.
Brigadier Adetuyi added that,” the Army had come to the office to officially hand over the intercepted items ,and the Suspects to NDLEA being the lead agency in charge of narcotics and other related substances.
He stressed that,” it is a forum to send strong warning to criminal element in order for them not to use the 9 brigade area of responsibility to convey or smuggle their illegal items to the country to desist because they will be caught and will be punished accordingly.
Also Speaking , Asst.State Commander Intelligent Innocent Adinna, NDLEA Lagos State command, said that the best is to prosecute the traffickers, and that the two suspect arrested with exhibits will be Charge to court .
He added that the suspects will receive adequate punishment for their offence.
Adinna said, “question has always been asked that people are smoking here and there but we the NDLEA with the resources available to us when we target the suppliers we cut down supply of this because when you cut down the supply you make the drugs unavailable to the users.
” We go out on operation we arrest them but majorly we target the big dealers like this arrest that has just been made, we have made several arrest of big trucks within Lagos so that what we basically do is we conduct proper investigation, by the time we conduct investigation and get to the root of the matter and carry out further operation base on this we are also going to prosecute them.
He Stated that once in a while, the chairman of the agency use to give us approval to conduct what we call exhibit destruction and that destruction we invite the chief executives and the heads of military,custom, Police to witness it alongside the governor of the state .
” It is a public exercise My word of advise is that drugs kills especially people that take it.
” It causes terminal disease to people, they should abstain from it and to the dealers whenever we catch them we take them to court and get to the root of their sources and access, he stated.
Joshua Donsu one of the suspects told newsmen during the handing over that he is just a smuggler and knows nothing about the drugs.
” I’m a Smuggler ,I don’t know anything about it, I don’t know what the driver was carrying he only gave me a lift .
“Now there are no jobs anywhere and their is nothing my wife and my Children will eat and I decided to go out and look for what they will eat before I come across the driver who gave me and the other man lift.
“I never knew what he was carrying was drugs.
“The moment we got to the checking point I just noticed that he just parked his truck and ran away and I was still sitting comfortably inside the truck not until when the Officers now checked the truck and discovered the truck was conveying drugs.
The second suspect, Mathew Atipaso, who said he is an Okada rider and hails from Igoro, also claimed that he is innocent,that the driver only gave him a lift
