Army arrests two with 296 wraps of illicit substance in Ogun

Along the Balogun border in Ogun State on Sunday, troops from the Nigerian Army's 192 Battalion, 81 Division, seized 296 warps containing illegal substance, perhaps belonging to a transnational drug cartel.

Major General Onyema Nwachukwu, the Director of Army Public Relations, revealed this in a message that was shared on the Nigerian Army's official X Twitter on Sunday.

The statement read, “Troops of 192 Battalion, 81 Division, Nigerian Army, acting on credible intelligence, intercepted a suspected transnational drug syndicate operating with a Sienna 2001 Model Space Bus, with registration number Lagos APP 129 EF, loaded with illicit substances, suspected to be Cannabis Sativa.

“The suspects were intercepted on Sunday, January 14, 2024, along Balogun border in Ogun State.

“Vigilant troops conducted a thorough search on the vehicle and detected layers of compartments packed with 296 wraps of substance suspected to be marijuana.”

The statement also claimed that the inquiry found that the illegal drug wraps were being smuggled from the Benin Republic to Ifo, Ogun State, via the border villages of Ilara.

Two individuals were detained in relation to the crime, and it was further disclosed that the international drug traffickers needed five months to hide the material before delivering it to their customers.

The statement further stated that the suspects, Michael Atanda, 18, and Adigun Olatunji, 54, both of Ilara Imeko in Ogun State's Afun Local Government Area, are residents of the Benin Republic.

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