Nine Ghanaians arrested by the operatives of Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) for reportedly trafficking over 200 bags of Indian Hemp (cannabis sativa) of an estimate cost of ₦200m into the country.
Edenabu Okoro Eweka, the Lagos State NSCDC commandant, identified the suspects as; Victor Musa, Freeman Gasie, Adotete Joseph, Moses Sottie, Christian Tette, Kabu Okonipa, Stephen Sottie, Daniel Toyokpti and Kabu Natte, said they are all fishermen.
Okoro Eweka added that, the arrest was successful through the support of the Nigerian Navy.
He described that the intelligence navigated operation was done by the marine unit of the NSCDC, having observed their activities.
Conforming to him, the items were sneaked through Ghana with the help of some associates.
He said,”The suspects loaded the products in a shop with the hope of smuggling them into the country but they didn’t know that our Ghanaian counterpart had informed us and we followed up. From our investigation, the hemp is worth ₦200m in the market.”
“The suspects were traced with two of the 17 boats that were recently donated to us. They were apprehended when they ran out of fuel and one of them strolled into the country to get fuel. It was then our officers descended on them.”
He added, “Though it was not in the jurisdiction of the agency to delve into drug matters, but the interwoven connectivity between drug addiction and government’s critical infrastructures necessitated the arrest.”
