The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency
(NDLEA) says its operatives have intercepted consignments of illicit drugs
concealed in frozen snails, electrical bulbs, and female clothes.
According to the agency, the shipments were destined
for the United States, the United Kingdom, and the Democratic Republic of Congo
(DRC).
This was disclosed in a statement on Sunday by Femi
Babafemi, NDLEA’s Director of Media and Advocacy.
He said the interceptions were made at the Murtala
Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) and a courier company in Lagos.
Babafemi revealed that two suspects connected to the
attempts had been taken into custody.
He identified one of them as Boladale Riliwan, a cargo
agent arrested on October 7 after 15 parcels of skunk were found hidden in 10
giant rechargeable electrical bulbs prepared for shipment to the DRC.
He also said a 48-year-old UK-based Public Health
Assistant, Olawale Oyebola Hakeemot, was arrested on October 12 at the
departure hall of Terminal 2 of the MMIA, Ikeja.
According to the agency, operatives discovered 2,300
pills of Tramadol 225mg concealed in frozen snails inside her luggage while she
attempted to board a Qatar Airways flight to Manchester, United Kingdom.
The statement added that NDLEA officers foiled another
attempt by a syndicate to export 810 pills of bromazepam concealed in female
clothes to the United States through a courier company in Lagos on 16 October.
Babafemi said that in Adamawa State, operatives
arrested Bello Buba at an NDLEA checkpoint in Namtari, Yola South Local
Government Area, with 38,270 pills of tramadol concealed in a spare tyre, boot,
and door compartments of his Honda Civic.
He noted that the suspect drove from Benin Republic to
smuggle the drugs into Nigeria.
The NDLEA also reported the destruction of 53,250
kilograms of skunk grown on 21.3 hectares of cannabis farmland in Ilawe Ekiti,
Ekiti State, between 12 and 13 October.
Operatives recovered 70 bags of skunk weighing 1,140
kilograms and arrested three suspects: Matthew Emmanuel (26), James Moses (27),
and Israel Samuel (20).
Babafemi said the operation followed another
destruction of 17,400 kilograms of skunk on 6.96 hectares of farmland in Aponmu
Forest Reserve, Akure, Ondo State, on 12 October.
In Oyo State, NDLEA operatives arrested Aliyu Muhammed
(50), Babarinde Segun (32), Ogunbiyi Sanjo (30), and Ajani Oluro (30) with 596
kilograms of skunk at Apata-Ako, Igboora.
He said Jacob Afolabi (30) and Salako Oluwatobi (25)
were also caught with 273 kilograms of the same substance at Odo-Oyan, Igangan,
on 16 October.
In Ogun State, Joseph Andrew was arrested with 88
kilograms of skunk at Ona-Imeko on 15 October, while Festus Udoh (42) was
arrested with 13,000 pills of opioids along Onitsha–Owerri Road in Imo State.
According to the agency, 74.5 kilograms of skunk were
recovered from the store of Joseph Chukwujamaa at Umuogbo-Agu Village, Enugu
State, on 18 October.
Babafemi further stated that in Lagos, 11 bags of
skunk weighing 117 kilograms were recovered from the base of Ramoni Olukowi in
Mushin on 18 October.
He added that during a joint operation with the
Nigeria Customs Service and other security agencies at Apapa Port on 14
October, operatives intercepted 80,000 bottles of codeine-based syrup in a
container watch-listed by the NDLEA.
Babafemi also said the agency continued its War
Against Drug Abuse (WADA) sensitisation campaigns across schools, workplaces,
worship centres, and communities.
He listed participating institutions as Commercial
Grammar School, Igogo Ekiti; Government Technical College, Ahoada, Rivers;
Junior Secondary Smart School, Kasarawa, Katsina; and St Peter’s College,
Olomore, Abeokuta, Ogun State, among others.
The NDLEA Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Brig.
Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd) commended officers in the affected commands for
their arrests and seizures.
He encouraged them to sustain their “balanced
approach” in the agency’s drug control efforts.
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