Cleric Warns Against Illicit Drugs After NDLEA Arrests Youth With 302.5 Kilo Of Tramadol

A cleric, Pastor Benjamin Mkpume, Monday, advised youths in Anambra to shun hard drugs to safeguard their future.

Speaking with THE WHISTLER in Awka, Pastor Mkpume urged parents, schools and religious organizations to brace for proper upbringing of children and young ones to make them crusaders of virtues in future.

The cleric, who teaches psychology at Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, was reacting to the arrest of one Chijioke Okeke by the operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency. A number of 548,000 tablets of Tramadol were recovered from Mr Okeke’s warehouse located at 3, Atunya Street, Maryland Estate at Nkwelle, Oyi Local Government Area of the state.

According to the NDLEA director of media and advocacy, Femi Babafemi, the 44-year-old Okeke was arrested following ‘credible intelligence and surveillance, which confirmed he stocked his warehouse with the illicit drug’.

In his words, “After the search of his warehouse, 548,000 tablets of Tarkadol weighing 302.500 kilogrammes were recovered.

Preliminary investigation has established that Tarkadol is a brand of Tramadol that has just been introduced into the market to evade attention.

“The substance has also tested positive for amphetamine. The drug was equally labelled 100mg pain reliever on its packs to avoid scrutiny, while laboratory tests confirmed it’s a 225mg drug.

“It was discovered that the drug was manufactured in India and smuggled into Nigeria without NAFDAC number or certification. During the search on the warehouse, a double-barrel pump gun with three live cartridges and licence expired since 2019 was also discovered and recovered.”