The Lagos State Command of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) says it has intercepted a truck carrying Canadian Loud, a variant of cannabis also known as Indian hemp.
Canadian Loud is an illicit drug imported from Canada and shipped in large quantities through Nigeria’s neighboring countries like Cameroon, Ghana and the Benin Republic.
Authorities say drug Lords mostly try to smuggle in the illicit substance by exploring the Nigerian waterways or land borders.
According to the Drug enforcement agency, this latest bust happened along Awolowo Road in the Ikoyi area of Lagos State on Tuesday, January 10.
The agency says the truck was found to have been laden with 8,960 jumbo pieces of Canadian Loud, a very strong and highly expensive illicit substance and they were loaded in over 100 extra-large polythene bags, weighing a total of 4,878.72kg.
The agency says the truck was being escorted by close to 20 armed men suspected to be security operatives who tried to use force to stop the illicit substance from being impounded.
The agency said when the armed men noticed NDLEA Operatives were not ready to back down, they opened fire on the agency’d operatives, shattering the windscreen of one of the operational vehicles and rammed into the agency’s operational vehicle to cause commotion, however, the NDLEA operatives with the help of soldiers nearby during the assault, attacked the drug dealers.
According to the Lagos State Commander of NDLEA, Umar Adoro, the drug peddlers later escaped with the driver.
It happened in the early hours of Tuesday at Awolowo road, Ikoyi, when our men were on a trail of a truckload of a drug consignment being smuggled into the country,” the NDLEA spokesperson said.
“In the process of intercepting the truck, some suspected fake security agents, who were obviously escorting the consignment emerged.
“At that point, our officers had flagged down the vehicle and the truck driver refused to stop. They (NDLEA officers) overtook it and blocked it from moving further and that was the point these suspected fake security agents emerged and ordered the driver of the truck to overrun our men and their vehicles.
“Indeed the truck driver attempted to do that. The operational vehicle of men was badly damaged and then in the process, these suspected fake security agents started shooting. Their shooting attracted soldiers from a military hospital nearby who came and immediately reinforced our men.
“Shortly before that, our men had also called for reinforcement from other teams, when they saw the reinforcement from our men with the support of the soldiers, these suspected fake security agents took the drug suspect in their own vehicle and fled the scene, and we secured the truck, drug consignment and moved them to our office.”
