Personnel of the Nigeria Police Force over the weekend raided a residential building in the Maryland area of Lagos State, where illicit drugs worth ₦7.8 billion were recovered.

Some suspects, including the kingpin behind the recovered drugs, Eke Ifeanyi Henry, have also been arrested by police personnel, who reportedly rejected a ₦500 million bribe.

The operation was carried out by a combined team of officers from the Zone 2 Police Command and the Special Protection Unit on the directive of the Inspector General of Police, Olatunji Disu.

The sting operation led to the seizure of hundreds of bags of suspected Canadian Loud worth billions of naira.

It was gathered that the SPU team acted on intelligence and collaborated with the Zone 2 Headquarters.

The Assistant Inspector General in charge of Zone 2, AIG Jimoh, while speaking with newsmen, said the command had placed the suspect under surveillance for several months before his arrest on May 19.

He revealed that during the operation, the suspect allegedly offered a ₦500 million bribe to the SPU commander in an attempt to make the team stand down and allow him to contact his associates to move the consignment elsewhere.

The offer was rejected outright, and the commander immediately documented the attempt for further investigation.

AIG Jimoh stated that the incident underscores the importance of specialised units like the SPU being embedded within joint operations under IGP Disu’s grassroots policing strategy.

The Special Protection Unit was deployed alongside divisional teams to secure the perimeter and prevent escape or interference with evidence.

The unit acted on months of surveillance and technical intelligence before moving in.

The Inspector General of Police, Olatunji Disu, said the success validates the ongoing redeployment of personnel to divisions and units across Lagos and Ogun.

He further stated that policing must be close to the people, and that specialised units must work side by side with divisional teams on the ground.

“The professionalism shown by the SPU commander in rejecting a ₦500 million bribe and following due procedure is the standard we expect. It shows that when you put your best foot forward at the grassroots, you get results and restore public trust,” he said.

The IGP added that his administration will continue to reward integrity and hold officers accountable to the same standard.

Exhibits recovered during the raid have been documented and will be presented in court.

The suspects remain in custody as investigations continue to identify other members of the network.

(Nigerian Tribune)

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