Grace Adeleke
Troops of the Nigerian Army have intercepted a truck conveying a large consignment of suspected illicit drugs along the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway and handed over the driver and the recovered substances to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency for further investigation.
The Army said the operation, carried out by troops of the 65 Battalion on July 9, followed credible intelligence that led to the interception of the vehicle.
In a statement on Sunday, the Acting Deputy Director of Army Public Relations, 81 Division, Lt. Col. Musa Yahaya, said preliminary investigations indicated that the suspected drugs were being transported to the Berger area of Lagos State.
He disclosed that the driver failed to provide satisfactory information on the ownership of the consignment or identify the intended recipient.
According to the statement, the suspect and the recovered drugs were subsequently handed over to the Lagos State Command of the NDLEA for further investigation and possible prosecution.
The handover was conducted by the Commanding Officer of the 65 Battalion, Lt. Col. S. Adeojo.
Commending the troops, the General Officer Commanding, 81 Division, Maj. Gen. Adebayo Babalola, praised their vigilance, professionalism and operational effectiveness.
He urged the soldiers to sustain ongoing operations and intensify efforts to deny drug traffickers and other criminal elements freedom of operation within the division’s area of responsibility.
“The Nigerian Army remains committed to supporting relevant security agencies in combating drug trafficking and other criminal activities across the country,” the statement added.
The latest seizure comes amid intensified efforts by security agencies to dismantle drug trafficking networks operating across major transport corridors in Nigeria.
Authorities have repeatedly warned that traffickers exploit highways, including the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Road, to move narcotics to urban distribution centres.
In recent months, security operatives have intercepted several consignments of suspected cannabis, tramadol, codeine-based syrups and other prohibited substances during intelligence-led operations, with most of the recovered items transferred to the NDLEA for investigation and prosecution.
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