The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) says it has intercepted cocaine and tramadol consignments concealed in vehicle side mirrors and lipsticks at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos.
Femi Babafemi, NDLEA spokesperson, in a statement on Sunday, said the drugs were being shipped to Gabon and Equatorial Guinea through the airport’s export shed.
Babafemi noted that the first interception occurred on July 19, when officers discovered 57,420 pills of tramadol of 225mg and 57 pellets of cocaine weighing 1.6kg concealed in 71 vehicle side mirrors en route to Libreville, Gabon, via Air Côte d’Ivoire.
He said the operative arrested Ihekweme Benedict, a known cargo agent handling the consignment, adding that follow-up operations led to the arrest of another suspect identified as Uzochukwu Chukwurah, on July 20.
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The NDLEA boss added that operatives later recovered 11 more parcels of cocaine weighing 1kg from Chukwurah’s residence, bringing the total cocaine seized to 2.6kg.
Babafemi said NDLEA officials, on August 1, arrested a businesswoman identified as Roseann Nwafor at her shop inside the Trade Fair Complex in Ojo, Lagos.
He said Nwafor’s arrest followed the earlier seizure of 100g of cocaine and 300g of phenacetine — a cocaine adulterant — hidden inside lipsticks destined for Malabo, Equatorial Guinea.
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He noted that two cargo agents linked to the consignment had been arrested before Nwafor’s capture, and that the suspect confessed that she bought the lipsticks while her husband, Remigus Nwafor, who is now on the run, handled the concealment.
DISPATCH RIDERS, TRADERS, SMUGGLERS ARRESTED ACROSS STATES
Babafemi said NDLEA officers arrested three dispatch riders — Sabo Sule (24), Samuel Nnamdi (28), and Idris Jibrin (28) — during a stop-and-search operation in Gwarimpa, Jahi, and Galadimawa area of Abuja.
He said the suspects were found with 149.8g of “Canadian Loud,” a high-grade strain of cannabis.
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On August 2, two other suspects, Aliyu Abubakar (25) and Adekunle Agbabiaka (30), were nabbed on the Abaji-Gwagwalada expressway with 91.1kg of skunk.
In Lagos, Joseph Michael was caught in Mushin with 3.3kg of Colorado — a synthetic cannabis strain — while Ibrahim Sulaiman was arrested in Iwaya, Yaba, with 16.5 litres of “skuchies,” a local cannabis-based drink.
In Benue state, 37-year-old Hussein Yusuf was arrested with over 100,000 tramadol capsules along the Vandeikya-Ogoja road on August 1.
The same day, NDLEA operatives in Ekpoma, Edo state, raided a warehouse and arrested William Alabi (44) with 233.5kg of skunk.
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At the Maiduguri airport, Umar Aminu (38) was arrested on arrival with 160 tramadol pills hidden in footwear. In Ogun state, Yahaya Seyi was caught with 7,218 opioid pills, mainly tramadol, during a raid in Oja Odan.
Also on August 1, NDLEA officers in Oyo arrested Oladeji Saka (54) in Ibadan with 77.5kg of skunk. In Delta, Benson Izah (40) was found with 12.5kg of skunk, 1kg of tramadol, and 14.4 litres of codeine syrup in Abraka.
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In Bayelsa, 52-year-old Emeka Opara and Onuoha Chidinma (25) were arrested in Amassoma with 41,705 tramadol capsules and other opioids. Meanwhile, in Kano, Bashir Gambo (30) was caught with 61kg of skunk in Tudun Wada LGA.
NDLEA operatives also arrested Kabiru Ayinde (40) and Roqeeb Adekanmbi (25) at Ile-Ogbo, Iwo town, Osun state, with 90kg of skunk, 36.3g of methamphetamine, a Toyota bus, and ₦228,200 in cash.
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NDLEA INTENSIFIES WAR AGAINST DRUG ABUSE CAMPAIGN
Babafemi added that the agency has continued its war against drug abuse (WADA) sensitisation campaign nationwide.
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He said activities were held in schools, worship centres, transport hubs, and royal courts, including visits to Islamic and Christian institutions in Yobe, Sokoto, Enugu, and Borno states.
NDLEA also paid an advocacy visit to Abdurasheed Akanbi, Oluwo of Iwo, in Osun state.
Buba Marwa, NDLEA chairman, commended the efforts of commands across MMIA, Maiduguri, FCT, Lagos, Edo, Oyo, Delta, Bayelsa, Benue, Kano, and Osun states.
He urged officers nationwide to sustain the agency’s “balanced approach” to drug control, combining law enforcement with public education and rehabilitation.
