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Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have intercepted consignments of opioids concealed in soles of shoes and hair attachments heading to the United States (US), United Kingdom (UK) and Cyprus at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Ikeja, Lagos, and three courier companies in the state.
A total of 2,118 pills of tramadol concealed in soles of 13 pairs of shoes going to Cyprus were seized at the export shed of the Lagos airport on October 12, 2024 and additional 380 tablets recovered from the home of the sender, Okenwa Kelvin Uchenna during a follow up operation in Enugu on Thursday, October 24.
The Director, Media & Advocacy of NDLEA, Mr. Femi Babafemi disclosed this in a statement issued on Sunday.
According to the statement, a cash of ₦968,880 and a Toyota Avalon car marked UWN 389 AS, were also recovered from the suspect at the time of his arrest.
“Not less than 293 ampoules of promethazine and pentazocine injection as well as 1.690kg cannabis and tramadol tablets concealed in hair attachments and soles of shoes going to the United States, United Kingdom and Oman were intercepted at three courier firms by NDLEA officers of the Directorate of Operations and General Investigation, DOGI, in Lagos on Thursday 24th October,” the statement noted.
In another operation, NDLEA operatives seized a total of 26,250,000 pills of tramadol and 508,400 bottles of codeine based syrup worth Sixteen Billion, Six Hundred and Eighty Three Million, Eight Hundred Thousand Naira (N16, 683, 800,000) in street value.
The agency stated that the seizures were achieved during 100 percent joint examination of watch-listed containers with men of Customs Service and other security agencies at the Tincan port in Lagos and Port Harcourt port, Onne, Rivers State between Tuesday, 22 and Wednesday, 23 October.
“Other illicit consignments intercepted during the joint inspection of the containers include 10 million tablets of Toradol Benzhexol and 28 plastic drums of methamphetamine weighing 700kg at Tincan and Onne respectively, while 56 parcels of Loud, a synthetic strain of cannabis weighing 28kg were also recovered from a container that arrived the Lagos port from Canada.
“A suspect, Tsolaye Eburajolo, 40, was arrested at Ago Palace area of Okota, Lagos in connection with the cannabis seizure, while a bribe of N10million paid to NDLEA officers to free the suspect has been kept as part of the exhibits for the prosecution of the case.”
Mr. Babafemi also disclosed that NDLEA operatives in Lagos on Friday, October 25, raided the Igbo-Igunuko shrine, located at the Alfa Beach, Ajah, where jumbo bags of Ghanaian Loud, a strain of cannabis, weighing 2,760kg were recovered, and two suspects identified as Gbenga Abiodun and Sunday Abiodun were equally arrested.
“Another suspect, Ademola Oyelakin was also arrested same day with 770kg of the same psychoactive substance along Lagos-Ibadan expressway,” Mr. Babafemi added.
He revealed that a total of 11,786 pills of tramadol, molly, rohypnol and diazepam as well as 64 bottles of codeine syrup were recovered from the underground storage a suspect, Muhammad Warnos Abdullahi dug in his bedroom at Marwa Coastal road, Lekki Phase 1, Lagos.
Babafemi explained that the recovery was achieved when NDLEA officers raided Abdullahi’s home on Friday, October 25.
“The suspect dug the illicit drug storage deep in his room, covered it with padlocked iron slate, a rug and then put his mattress on top to avoid detection,” he stressed.
The statement further read: “In Plateau, a suspect Fadan Bindom, 39, was arrested at Pilgani village in possession of 65.85kg cannabis and 18 grams of tramadol, while another suspect Sunday Agbata, 42, was nabbed at Pavwei – Rayfield Jos South LGA with 5,830 tablets and ampoules of bromazepam, diazepam and pentazocine injection on Wednesday 23rd October.
“A major distributor of illicit drugs in FCT Abuja, Umar Muhammed, 40, was on Monday 21st October nabbed following the earlier seizure of a consignment of 198.5kg cannabis linked to him at Wuse market park.
“In Edo state, NDLEA operatives recovered 640kg cannabis concealed in 80 jumbo bags of fresh vegetables at Ewu junction, Irrua, Esan Central LGA and arrested a suspect, Austin Oruamen, 27, while another suspect Adereti Kazeem, 35, was nabbed with 200 blocks of cannabis weighing 133kg at Obalayan, Ile-Ife, Osun State on Thursday 24th October.”
In the same vein, the Commands and formations of the Agency across the country continued their War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) sensitization activities in schools, worship centres, work places and communities among others in the past week.
The activities include WADA sensitisation lecture to students and staff of Government Girls Secondary School, Tambuwal, Sokoto; St. Mary College, Awka, Anambra State, and Prime Rose Model Private College, Saki, Oyo State.
Others are Community Model Arabic College, Malumfashi, Katsina State; Community Junior Secondary School, Rumuomasi, Rivers State; and WADA advocacy lecture to Rugar Alhaji Manu Unguwan Sullubawa, Gombi, Adamawa State.
Reacting to the arrests and seizures, the Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa commended the officers and men of MMIA, Tincan, PHPC, Lagos, FCT, Osun, Plateau and Edo Commands of the Agency as well as those of DOGI.
Gen. Marwa said 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.
