The Nigerian Navy’s Forward Operating Base (FOB) in Badagry, Lagos State, has handed over five seized vehicles and quantities of cannabis sativa to the Nigeria Police Force and the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).
Lt. Cdr. Bitrus Zoaka, the Base Operations Officer (BOO), representing Navy Capt. Augustus Amakiri, Commanding Officer of the FOB, disclosed this during a news briefing on Tuesday.
Zoaka explained that the items were intercepted during operations targeting illicit activities in the region. The seizures included vehicles loaded with suspected cannabis, petroleum products, and foreign parboiled rice intended for smuggling into the Republic of Benin or distribution within Nigeria.
“All drivers of the seized vehicles fled the scene, abandoning the items to evade arrest by the Quick Response Team (QRT) of the base,” Zoaka said.
He detailed the operations that led to the seizures:
Sept. 18: Acting on intelligence, the navy raided a suspected drug storage site in Zango, Seme, uncovering bottles of codeine and cartons of tramadol.
Sept. 22: Another raid in Akoro community, Badagry, led to the discovery of four sacks containing parcels of cannabis buried in a compound.
Sept. 25: In Kweme community, the navy seized two large “Ghana-Must-Go” bags filled with cannabis sativa hidden inside a house.
“These operations align with the Chief of Naval Staff’s Strategic Directive 2023-6 to ensure maritime security within Nigeria and the Gulf of Guinea,” Zoaka emphasized.
The intercepted vehicles and contraband were stored at the base before being officially handed over.
Receiving the exhibits, Assistant Commander Narcotics Ogbogoh Emmanuel of the NDLEA’s Seme Special Command pledged to investigate and prosecute those behind the seized items. Similarly, CSP Folajimi Agosile, Divisional Police Officer of Badagry Police Station, assured thorough investigations to identify the owners of the vehicles.
NAN reports that the FOB, through routine patrols
[…] caretaker government has repeatedly urged citizens to avoid extravagant wedding traditions and focus on simpler ceremonies to ease the economic burden on families. These mass weddings are […]