Eastern Nigeria sit-at-home enforcement: NDLEA intercepts 64,863kg of Laughing Gas oxide in Imo State intended for dastardly operations, Lagos too…As Nigerian Army gets ready for fresh crush-at-sight order by new Army Chief

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Pix above: The laughing gas suspects

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Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have intercepted over 64,863.5 kilograms of consignments of Nitrous oxide (laughing gas) at the Apapa seaport in Lagos and in Imo State.

This was disclosed in a statement by NDLEA Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, on Friday, July 14, 2023.

This is coming less than a week after the chairman and Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig Gen Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd), directed all commands and formations of the agency to begin an immediate clampdown on the illegal sale and use of nitrous oxide.

According to Babafemi, following credible intelligence, NDLEA operatives at the Apapa seaport on Wednesday intercepted two containers marked MSKU 7626856 and MSKU 7689448 suspected to contain cartons of Nitrous oxide and plastic pressure release nozzles imported from China.

He added that during the search of the two containers, a total of 522 cartons of Nitrous oxide containing 16,366 packages weighing 64,852kg were recovered along with the paraphernalia for recreational use, adding that the importer of the consignment, Stephen Eze, and his agent, Michael Chukwuma, were thereafter arrested and detained for further investigation.

In the same vein, NDLEA operatives on patrol along the Owerri-Onitsha expressway in Imo State on Thursday intercepted three cartons containing 18 canisters of the same substance weighing 11.5kg heading for Port Harcourt, Rivers State.

A swift follow-up operation was conducted in the Stadium Road area of Elekahia, Port Harcourt, the same day, leading to the arrest of the owner of the shipment, 24-year-old Tonye Kalio.(agency).

The laughing gas arrest is coming few days after the new Chief of Army Staff, Major General Taoreed Lagbaja, has directed troops to seize control of areas where the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) enforce their sit-at-home order in the whole South-East states.

This is coming after a Finland-based pro-Biafra agitator, Simon Ekpa, announced that there would be a two-week sit-at-home in the South-East region from 31 July.

–Scary war equipment on display

Ekpa said the order was to demand the immediate and unconditional release of the detained IPOB leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, as well as facilitate the freedom of Biafra nation, among others.

The self acclaimed disciple of Kanu warned that failure to comply with the sit-at-home order would attract ‘heavy consequences’.

–Scary war equipment ready for action

However, reacting on the illegal order, the Director, Army Public Relations, Brig. Gen. Onyema Nwachukwu, declared that such an announcement was unlawful and would not be condoned, stating that the new Chief of Army Staff, Major General Taoreed Lagbaja, has directed troops to seize control of areas where the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) enforce their sit-at-home order in the whole Southeast states./SHARE THIS