The Adetokunbo Ademola axis of Wuse 2, Abuja, draws visitors like bees to honey. This night, the well-lit area looked appealing to any fun lover. From a few hundred metres away, one could spot the highbrow Barcelona Hotel, then, a popular supermarket.

Dotting the supermarket are other popular relaxation spots; such as the famous Yahuza Suya, a local food mini-market, a salsa (dance) spot and other relaxation spots for children and adults alike. There was a police van parked adjacent to the supermarket.

It was the close of work and fun lovers were trooping in to let their heads down and relax at different spots. To many residents in the city area of the Federal Capital Territory, Wuse 2 is a refuge zone for family and friends after a hectic work day. But what is unknown to a lot of people is that it is also a haven for drug dealers.

The hard drugs’ trade

After discovering the haven about three months earlier, and making discreet connections, our correspondent posed as a drug buyer with tentacles in Lagos.

“Bros, I get SK, hemp and SK. Abi na Charlie (cocaine) you want?” asked one of the dealers as our correspondent walked into their ‘den’ in Wuse 2.

In Abuja, the street names for cocaine are ‘coke,’ ‘crack’ or ‘charlie.’”

“I get ‘Loud’ and ‘SK’,” said another who approached our correspondent from the opposite end.

SK (skunk) is a very potent mix of Indian hemp and other narcotic leaves. SK is one of the most common among drug dealers in Abuja. Users say it is much stronger and more expensive than ordinary hemp and marijuana. The active ingredient in marijuana/cannabis is Tetrahydrocannabinol, which creates the euphoric effect in the user.

Ibrahim (not real name), one of the dealers, walked up to our correspondent.

“Tell your driver to drive away from the supermarket area, especially away from the police van before any business transaction can take place,” he said to me.

Tall, slim and tough looking, he took out a wrap of marijuana and drew in a puff, like his life depended on it.

“How much is SK?” Our correspondent asked.

“N1,500,” Ibrahim said. After a brief bargain, we settled for N1,000. In a flash, he brought out a pack containing five white wraps of sticks and handed it over. His eyes kept scanning the area for any suspicious movement.

Then, he dashed off to get cocaine from another dealer a few metres away. He returned with a wrap and handed it over. “Dis one na coke, raw one. Na correct one, I no get the powder one now,” he said. Inside the wrap were two small white crystals. He sold it for N1,000.

Although SUNDAY PUNCH discovered that cocaine was mostly sold as a white powder, the cocaine can be made, through some chemical process, into “crack” forms, that look like crystals. Users sniff powder cocaine through their nostrils, while the crack forms are smoked.

All entreaties to get his phone number failed.

“When you come tomorrow, just ask for Ibrahim,” he said, declining to give his telephone number, and walking briskly away after he had collected the cash. “Be careful of the police guys, they are the ones in the ash-colour car,” he added.

The police van was parked a few metres away.

The next day, following Ibrahim’s advice, our correspondent drove a few metres past the supermarket and waited to signal any one of the dealers.

Steve (not real name), with deep-set eyes, average height, and innocent-looking, was the first among others to spot the car. A secondary school dropout from Kaduna State, he looked different from Ibrahim, but he also had the trained voice of a drug peddler.

“Bros, I get crack and coke, but make we move fast. I no want the policemen to see me,” he said as the windscreen wound down. The car door opened and he hopped into the back seat.

While we drove out, Steve brought out packs of SK, hemp and cocaine.

Our correspondent bought six sticks of SK.

“I get one gramme (of cocaine) for N20,000, abi which one you need? The powder and raw one (crack)? All na confirm. I get ‘loud’ too, I fit get am for you tomorrow,” he said.

“I have mixed the SK and heroin powder well for you, na correct one,” Steve said, assuring our correspondent that it was the real one.

He showed our correspondent the white powder of cocaine. “This na confirm, he said.”

He sold N3,000 worth of cocaine powder.

He also sold a wrap of ‘loud’ for N2,000. ‘Loud’ is a street name for a mixture of hemp and heroin. The contents were brownish in colour.

Heroin sold on the streets is said to be usually found in other colours such as brown or black due to colouring that comes from additives used to dilute it. However, experts say in its purest form, it is a fine white powder.

Drug users often say the mixture has a more intoxicating effect than ordinary hemp. A National Drug Law Enforcement Agency official told SUNDAY PUNCH that users and dealers devise combination to suit their preferences.

“I mix the heroin well. One wrap is okay for you. You go high, one time. E fit take you 24 hours. SK go only make you high for about four hours.” Steve said.

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#REF: http://punchng.com/inside-abujas-hard-drugs-trade/

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