NDLEA seizes opioids, codeine syrups worth ‘N3.4bn’ in Lagos, Rivers

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) says its operatives seized drugs with a street value of N3.428 billion in Lagos and Rivers states.

In a statement on Sunday, Femi Babafemi, NDLEA spokesperson, said the drugs include 3.5 million pills of opioids and 163,000 bottles of codeine syrups.

He said the codeine syrups were intercepted by NDLEA and customs officers on April 29 during a joint examination of a watch-listed container at the Port Harcourt ports complex, Onne, Rivers state.

The NDLEA spokesman said in Lagos, 1,500,000 pills of a controlled opioid were recovered from a suspect identified as Olarenwaju Wahab at the Alaba-Rago area of Ojo on April 29, while the source of the consignment was traced to Q104B road 25, Victoria Garden City, Lekki, the residence of one Obinna Kenneth who is now at large.

Babafemi said the anti-narcotics agency also raided and confiscated other prohibited drugs across the country.

He said at the import shed of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) Ikeja Lagos, operatives intercepted 42 parcels of Canadian Loud, a strong strain of cannabis weighing 20kg, concealed in tins of chocolate, milo beverage, white kidney beans and dark red kidney beans.

He said the items were packaged as part of cargo into the Lagos airport onboard a British Airways flight from Canada.

Babafemi said at least three suspects, including the receiver of the consignment, Monsurat Ewawunmi Lawson, were arrested between April 30 and May 3.

“In like manner, a businessman, Bobby Morris Osas, was on Friday, 2nd May, arrested at the Lagos airport while attempting to board a Turkish Airlines flight to Italy. A thorough search of his luggage led to the seizure of 8,130 pills of tramadol 225mg, 200mg and 100mg,” the statement reads.

Babafemi said another syndicate’s attempt to ship 104 grammes of tramadol and skunk concealed in bottles of body cream to Iraq through a courier company in Lagos was also thwarted on Monday, April 28, by NDLEA officers.

DISCOVERY OF EXPLOSIVES

In Kaduna, NDLEA operatives on patrol along the Kaduna-Zaria expressway on May 3 intercepted a commercial vehicle coming from Nasarawa state and heading to Zamfara state.

According to Babafemi, a search of the vehicle led to the discovery of a total of 942 explosives concealed in a sack and the subsequent arrest of a 30-year-old suspect, Nura Sani Muhammad, better known as Nura Hariji.

He said Buba Marwa, NDLEA chairman, has directed that the suspect and exhibits be transferred to the appropriate security agency for further action.

Babafemi said five members of a syndicate led by Aminu Musa, also known as Kadagi, were arrested on April 30 at Dangoro market, Kano state, with 50 blocks of skunk weighing 21.6kg.

In Edo, operatives at Uromi, Esan north-east, on May 1, arrested a white Toyota bus conveying assorted opioids from Onitsha, Anambra state, heading to Auchi.

He noted that items recovered from the vehicle include 314,020 pills of tramadol, phenol, diazepam, exol5, 638 bottles of codeine syrup and 200 ampoules of pentazocine injection.

Babafemi said a suspect, Dare Adeyemo, was taken into custody.

“A Mazda commercial bus marked XA343TSE was equally intercepted at Agu-Awka junction, Awka, Anambra state by NDLEA operatives on Wednesday 30th April while a total of 50,400 capsules of tramadol, 500 tablets of co-codamol and 300 ampoules of pentazocine injection were recovered and a suspect Chinedu Eneh arrested,” Babafemi said.

In Niger state, officers on patrol along Kontagora-Mokwa road on May 3 intercepted a Mitsubishi canter truck marked RBH 104 ZY, and following a search, 5,500 capsules of tramadol and 2,300 ampoules of pentazocine injection were discovered with a suspect, Yusuf Abubakar, arrested.

“After 10 months of painstaking investigation, NDLEA operatives on Saturday 26th April, arrested a wanted drug kingpin, the 52-year-old Managing Director of Ovidaq International Ltd, Dominic Chiegozie Obijiaku, over his involvement in the importation of a consignment of 2,616,060 pills of tramadol 225mg intercepted by NDLEA at Apapa seaport in Lagos on 28th July 2024. A follow-up operation at his house in Lekki led to the seizure of 51 wraps of Canadian Loud weighing 34 grams,” Babafemi said.

The NDLEA spokesman said the war against drug abuse and social advocacy activities of the NDLEA commands continued across the country in the past week.

Babafemi added that some of the activities included a WADA sensitisation lecture delivered to students and staff of Al-stigma University, Kano, and students and staff of Government Girls Junior Secondary School, Kankia, Katsina state, among others.