NDLEA arrests engineer, seizes tons of illicit drugs in multiple operations

•As operatives arrest grandma with opioids in Lagos

 

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested a suspected drug trafficker, Egwu Phillip Inya who claims to be a building engineer, while attempting to take delivery of illicit consignments concealed in pressure machines imported from South Africa.

The 42-year-old Egwu was arrested on 2nd December 2024 at Okeyson Motor Park Enugu when he showed up to collect three units of pressure machines inside which were hidden parcels of Loud, a synthetic strain of cannabis, weighing 7.40 kilograms.

A statement by the Director, Media and Advocacy of the NDLEA, Mr. Femi Babafemi on Sunday said the consignments had arrived at the Lagos International Airport import shed on 29th November 2024 and following credible intelligence, officers of the airport’s Strategic Command of the Agency had monitored the shipment pass through clearing processes up to a logistics company’s warehouse outside the airport where it was to be collected by the consignee.

The importer however changed the point of collection to Enugu at the last minute. As a result, NDLEA operatives in a follow-up operation in Enugu arrested Egwu when he showed up to collect the consignments.

No fewer than 511,000 pills of tramadol were recovered from a Siena vehicle at Hildi, Askira Uba way in Adamawa state by NDLEA operatives on patrol along the road in the early hours of Friday 6th December.

The occupants of the vehicle had made a detour on sighting the NDLEA team and after a distance abandoned the vehicle with the consignments after noticing the operatives were on their trail.

In Ekiti state, two suspects: Olanrewaju Alale and Babatunde Kayode Ijadahun were arrested along Ise- Emure road in a J5 bus marked EPE 958 XJ while transporting 108 jumbo bags of cannabis weighing 1, 323 kilograms to Owo, Ondo state from where they claimed the consignment will be moved to the North for distribution.

Another suspect, Adekunle Yusuf was nabbed by NDLEA operatives with 704 kilograms of the same psychoactive substance, concealed in white sacks on Friday at Idere road, Igboora, Oyo state.

In Lagos, a grandmother, 65-year-old Ramata Bola Adeyemo was also arrested on Friday by NDLEA operatives at 62 Odunfa Street, Lagos Island, where 20.6 litres of codeine-based syrup were recovered from her. Also arrested in Lagos was Alhaji Lawan Manga who was picked up at Ogundana Street, Ikeja on 5th December while 4.7kg cannabis and 1.3kg tramadol were recovered from him.

With the same vigour, Commands and formations of the Agency across the country continued their War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) sensitization lectures to schools, worship centres, workplaces and communities among others in the past week.

While commending the officers and men of the various Commands of the Agency for the arrests and seizures, the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig-Gen. Mohamed Marwa (Rtd) stated that their operational successes and those of their compatriots across the country especially their balanced approach to drug supply reduction and drug demand reduction efforts are well appreciated.

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