•arrests 2 suspects, recovers large consignments of skunk, heroin, opioids
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has thwarted illicit consignments such as Cocaine, Tramadol, Loud, Molly and others concealed in prayer beads, packs of board games, female clothes to the United States of America, Saudi Arabia, Italy, Poland, and United Arab Emirates through logistics firms.
A statement by the NDLEA spokesman, Mr Femi Babafemi, on Sunday, said two suspects behind some of the aborted missions at the Lagos International Airport have already been arrested.
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One of them is a 43-year-old businesswoman, Jakpor Egware May who was nabbed at the Gate ‘C’ departure hall of the Lagos airport while attempting to board an Air France flight to Italy on 8th March 2025.
When she was searched, 190 parcels of tramadol 225mg and another parcel of skunk, a strain of cannabis, were recovered from her luggage. In her statement, she claimed that she bought the drugs herself, with the intention to resell them in Italy.
At the export shed of the Lagos airport, Babafemi said officers of the Agency, on 11th March arrested a 60-year-old suspect, Yahaya Fatai Ayinla, while attempting to ship a cargo containing cloths used to conceal 400grams of skunk going to New York, United States of America.
At some logistics companies in Lagos, efforts by drug traffickers to export over two kilograms of Loud, Molly, and Tramadol 365mg, 225mg hidden in Vitamin C bottles and female clothes to the US were frustrated by NDLEA operatives of the Directorate of Operations and General Investigation (DOGI).
Other shipments of 230 grams of cocaine concealed in prayer beads, soles of locally made shoes and packs of board games heading to Saudi Arabia, Poland and UAE were equally intercepted between the 10th and 12th of March.
In Kano state, a total of 727 blocks of compressed skunk weighing 479kg were recovered from a 40-year-old suspect, Hassan Haruna who was arrested by NDLEA operatives at Chalawa area of the state on 12th March, while no fewer than 58,300 pills of tramadol were intercepted along Kabba-Obajana highway, Kogi state in a commercial bus coming from Lagos enroute Abuja on 11th March.
The statement said eaid operations in Kachia, Kaduna state on 13th March led to the arrest of Idris Hamza with 4,900 pills of tramadol 225mg seized from him, just as a similar exercise in Hayin Banki area of Kaduna North LGA, on 14th March resulted in the arrest of 25-year-old Aminu Magaji from whom 2,900 tablets of tramadol 225mg were recovered.
While a total of 40, 200 tablets of tramadol 225mg were recovered from the duo of Olowoko Faruk and Akeem Ridwan along Ilorin – Jebba expressway, Bode Saadu, Kwara state on 14th March, NDLEA operatives equally seized 21,700 capsules of same opioid from a suspect, Salisu Usman along Eiyenkorin expressway, Ilorin on 13th March.
In Taraba state, NDLEA officers on 14th March arrested Polycarp Adeku at Bente road, Kurmi LGA, with 15.77Kg skunk, while in Osun state, operatives, on 13th March, intercepted a commercial bus marked SGB 564 YS coming from Idumota, Lagos Island in front of King University, Ode-omu, with a total of 48.7kg Ghanaian Loud, Colorado and Canadian Loud, all strains of cannabis.
Not less than nine suspects have been arrested in connection with the seizure in Osogbo and Ile-Ife during follow-up operations.
On 11 March, a 58-year-old suspect, Ade Esan (aka Pastor) was on 11th March arrested along the Gwagwalada expressway, FCT Abuja, with 27,800 pills of tramadol 225mg, while another suspect Usman Mohammed was nabbed the same day with various quantities of skunk and cocaine at the Wuse zone 3 area of Abuja.
In Abia state, NDLEA operatives on Saturday raided the Ntigha community, Isiala-Ngwa North LGA, where a 34-year-old suspect, Chinaza Nwogu (aka Young Money) was arrested with 274 grams of heroin, 141 grams of methamphetamine, 2.931kg of cannabis sativa, 4 grams of cocaine and N753,015.00 monetary exhibit.
Meanwhile, Commands and formations of the Agency across the country continued their War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) sensitization activities to schools, worship centres, work places 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 the 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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