NDLEA busts trans-border drug cartel, arrests 4 members in Onitsha, Keffi

Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, have busted a trans-border drug trafficking syndicate, arresting four members in intelligence-led operations during which multi-million-naira worth of tramadol pills concealed in the bumper and false bottom of sienna buses heading to border towns were recovered.

Following weeks of intelligence and surveillance operations by operatives of the Directorate of Intelligence in NDLEA, a Sienna bus marked ABJ 452 HG was intercepted at Nasarawa- Toto road, Keffi, Nasarawa state on Tuesday 27th January 2025 at 6am. Two suspects: Zahradeen Adamu, 27 and Abubakar Usman, 44, were arrested in the vehicle coming from Onitsha, Anambra state enroute Yola, Adamawa state. A second Sienna bus driven by Abba Usman, 48, was also intercepted.

During a search of the two vehicles, specially constructed steel compartments were discovered after the removal of the back bumper where a total of 190, 960 pills of tramadol were concealed and, in the space, designed to house the spare tyre of the vehicles.

Investigations revealed that an Onitsha, Anambra state-based dealer, Kingsley Mbaeri was the supplier of the seized tramadol consignment. A swift follow up operation led to the arrest of Mbaeri at his Uga Street, Onitsha home on 29th January. Two vehicles: a Toyota Corolla car marked FGG 948 MF and a Toyota Sienna bus marked GWA 23 HH were recovered from his house.

In another interdiction, operatives of the Intelligence Department intercepted a commercial bus coming from Onitsha, Anambra State at Abaji checkpoint, FCT Abuja on 4th February. A passenger in the bus, Chimezie Henry Ojingwa, 32, carrying motor spare parts in a black bag was arrested. When his bag was searched, 404.47grams of methamphetamine; 506.49grams of Loud, a synthetic strain of cannabis and 262.32grams of dimethyl sulfone, a precursor substance for mixing meth, all of which were concealed in the motor parts were recovered.

In Cross River state, NDLEA officers on patrol along Ogoja -Abakaliki road, Yahe, on Thursday 13th February intercepted 170,000 pills of tramadol in a truck driven by Paul Chukwudi, 31, while operatives at the Apapa seaport in Lagos on Tuesday 11th February recovered 85,400 bottles of codeine-based syrup in a container imported from India.

Two suspects: Halilu Isa and Gambo Umaru were nabbed at Bama road, Maiduguri, Borno state on Friday 14th February with 60 compressed blocks of skunk, a strain of cannabis, weighing 72kg, while NDLEA operatives in Ekiti state on Tuesday 11th February raided

A notorious drug joint at Iloda street, Ikole-Ekiti where they arrested three suspects:

Bala Muhammed, 57; Yahaya Adamu, 55, and Abdullahi Shehu, 30. A total of 83 kilograms of skunk were recovered from them.

In Lagos, 28-year-old Samiat Olabisi Yussuf was on Saturday 15th February arrested by operatives during a raid of her Lekki home where 169.5 litres of nitrous oxide popularly known as laughing gas and 111grams of Loud were recovered. Not less than 132.84 kilograms of skunk were recovered from two suspects: Ibrahim Usman, 40, and Solomon James, 40, in Taraba. While Usman was nabbed with 88kg of Arizona and Ghana Loud at Wukari, James was arrested with 44.84kg of same substance at Takanaba, Sabongari, in Jalingo LGA.

Meanwhile, across the country, NDLEA Commands continued their War Against Drug Abuse, WADA, sensitization lectures and advocacy visits to worship centres, schools, workplaces, palaces of traditional rulers and communities all through the past week. Instances include: WADA sensitization lecture to students and staff of Government Technical College, Oku, Akwa Ibom; Future Leaders Academy, Kishi, Oyo state; Government Secondary School, Bashire, Sokoto; Ehere Comprehensive School, Ogbor Hill, Abia; Government Day Secondary School, Taura, Jigawa state; and Jesuit College, Agbado Ekiti, Ekiti state; while Kano state command of NDLEA conducted WADA enlightenment lecture for married women in purdah at Markaz Umar Bn Khattab Centre, Kano, among others.

While commending the officers and men of Directorate of Intelligence, Apapa, Cross River, Borno, Ekiti, Taraba, and Lagos Commands of the Agency for the arrests and seizures of the past week, Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd) also applauded their compatriots in all the commands across the country for intensifying the WADA sensitization lectures and advocacy messages to every part of their areas of responsibility.