Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have intercepted illicit drugs valued at over ₦10 billion in separate operations at the Lagos airport and Apapa seaport, arresting suspected drug traffickers and dismantling syndicates linked to overseas shipments.
The agency also recovered hundreds of rounds of military-grade ammunition during operations in Katsina and Kaduna states, while a consignment of tramadol concealed in containers of black soap and destined for the United Kingdom was intercepted in Lagos.
The NDLEA Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, disclosed this in a statement on Sunday.
Among those arrested was a 55-year-old businessman and clothing dealer at Balogun Market, Lagos Island, Onuigbo Ndubisi Chinedu, who allegedly attempted to export 3.30kg of cocaine concealed in the walls of cartons containing foodstuffs to the UK.
According to the NDLEA, Onuigbo was arrested on Thursday, July 23, following the interception of the cocaine shipment at the export shed of the Lagos airport a day earlier.
Investigations initially led to the arrest of three cargo agents identified as Nkwor Onyekachukwu Justina, Adeleke Abiola Taoheed and Ukanwa Grace Pilgrim, who allegedly handled the shipment.
The agency said information obtained during the investigation subsequently led operatives to Kenneth Okakpu, who allegedly delivered the consignment to the cargo agents for shipment to the UK.
NDLEA said Okakpu’s arrest provided investigators with information that led them to identify Onuigbo as the alleged leader of the syndicate.
The 55-year-old was eventually arrested while allegedly attempting to send another cocaine consignment to the UK.
In a separate operation, NDLEA operatives arrested a 31-year-old entrepreneur, Emmanuella Chukwu-Edo, at her residence in Surulere, Lagos, on Tuesday, July 21.
Her arrest followed the interception of a consignment containing 2.80kg of Loud, a potent strain of cannabis, which arrived from the United States aboard a United Airlines flight on Monday, July 20.
The agency said Chukwu-Edo was linked to the shipment during its investigation.
In another operation at the Lagos airport, NDLEA officers recovered a large consignment of Tapentadol 250mg during the joint examination of cargo on Friday, July 24.
According to the agency, the shipment originated from India and arrived aboard an Air Maroc flight.
NDLEA put the street value of the intercepted opioids at more than N2.2bn, adding that the operation followed intelligence received and processed by the agency.
The seizure came shortly after operatives intercepted a consignment of tramadol concealed inside containers of black soap and destined for the UK.
The UK-bound shipment was discovered at a courier company in Lagos on Wednesday, July 22.
At the Apapa seaport, NDLEA operatives uncovered 4,777 sachets of Canadian Loud weighing 2,388.5kg during a joint examination of a container on Monday, July 20.
The drugs, estimated by the agency to have a street value of more than N7.1bn, were allegedly concealed in three vehicles shipped inside the container.
The Apapa interception, combined with the airport seizures, brought the estimated value of the major drug consignments intercepted during the operations to more than ₦10bn.
Away from Lagos, NDLEA operatives also recovered military-grade ammunition during separate operations in Katsina and Kaduna states.
The agency said a 30-year-old suspect, Mustapha Sani, was arrested during a patrol at Baure in Safana Local Government Area of Katsina State on Wednesday, July 22.
Sani was allegedly found with 323 rounds of ammunition, including 200 rounds of 7.62mm ammunition and another 123 rounds.
In Kaduna, another 30-year-old suspect, Abubakar Amadu, was arrested during a stop-and-search operation at Jere along the Abuja-Kaduna Expressway.
NDLEA officers allegedly recovered 73 rounds of 7.62mm ammunition concealed in kegs of red palm oil from him.
The agency said both suspects had been handed over to the appropriate security agency for further investigation.
In Edo State, NDLEA operatives raided Ilushi community in Esan South-East Local Government Area on Sunday, July 19, recovering 1,286kg of cannabis and 86kg of cannabis seeds from a warehouse.
During related operations, 45-year-old Ojore Onweze was allegedly caught with 60kg of skunk, while George Agwumede, 30, was arrested with another 13kg of the substance.
Meanwhile, the agency said its commands and formations continued sensitization activities under the War Against Drug Abuse campaign during the week.
The campaign included sensitization programs for students and staff of Government Day Secondary School, Sabon Wuse, Niger State; Government Girls Secondary School, Shekara, Kano State; and Otto Primary School, Ebute Metta, Lagos.
The Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd.), commended officers involved in the operations, particularly personnel of the Directorate of Operations and General Investigation and commands at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Apapa, Edo, Kaduna and Katsina.
Marwa urged NDLEA personnel nationwide to sustain what he described as the agency’s balanced approach to drug control efforts.
