The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has
intercepted illicit drugs valued at more than ?10 billion during
coordinated operations across Lagos, Kaduna, Katsina, and Edo states, leading
to the arrest of several suspected drug traffickers and the seizure of
military-grade ammunition.
According to a statement issued by NDLEA spokesperson Femi
Babafemi, the operations resulted in the confiscation of cocaine, synthetic
cannabis (Loud), opioids, tramadol, and thousands of rounds of ammunition
concealed in various shipments.
A 55-year-old businessman, Onuigbo Ndubisi Chinedu,
who operates a clothing business at Balogun Market in Lagos, was arrested after
investigators linked him to an attempt to export 3.3 kilograms of cocaine
hidden inside the walls of cartons containing food items destined for the
United Kingdom.
The cocaine shipment was intercepted at the export
section of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos. Investigations
initially led to the arrest of three cargo agents and another suspect, Kenneth
Okakpu, whose interrogation eventually identified Chinedu as the alleged
mastermind behind the trafficking network.
In a separate operation, NDLEA operatives arrested 31-year-old
entrepreneur Emmanuella Chukwu-Edo at her Surulere residence after
authorities intercepted 2.8 kilograms of Loud, a potent synthetic
cannabis strain, which had arrived from the United States aboard a United
Airlines flight.
The agency also recovered 2.24 million pills of
Tapentadol 250mg, valued at over ?2.2 billion, from a shipment that
arrived from India aboard an Air Maroc flight. The seizure followed
intelligence gathering and a joint cargo examination at the Lagos airport.
Additionally, NDLEA officers intercepted a UK-bound
consignment of tramadol concealed inside containers of black soap at a
Lagos courier facility.
At the Apapa Seaport, operatives uncovered 2,388.5
kilograms of Canadian Loud hidden inside three imported vehicles. The
seized drugs, packed in 4,777 sachets, are estimated to have a street
value exceeding ?7.1 billion.
The agency also recorded significant security-related
seizures involving ammunition. In Katsina State, officers arrested Mustapha
Sani, 30, with 323 rounds of military-grade ammunition, including
200 rounds of 7.62mm and 123 rounds of 7.6mm cartridges.
Along the Abuja-Kaduna Expressway, another suspect, Abubakar
Amadu, 30, was arrested with 73 rounds of 7.62mm ammunition
concealed inside kegs filled with palm oil. Both suspects have been handed over
to the appropriate security agencies for further investigation.
Meanwhile, in Edo State, NDLEA operatives raided a
warehouse in Ilushi Community, Esan South East Local Government Area,
recovering 1,286 kilograms of cannabis and 86 kilograms of cannabis
seeds. Two additional suspects were arrested with 73 kilograms of skunk
during follow-up operations.
Beyond enforcement activities, the agency said it
continued its War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) campaign by conducting
sensitisation programmes in schools and communities across Niger, Kano, Lagos,
and other states.
NDLEA Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Brig.
Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd.), commended officers involved in the
successful operations and urged personnel nationwide to sustain the agency's
balanced strategy of aggressive enforcement alongside public education and drug
abuse prevention.
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