NDLEA Intercepts N16.1bn Worth of Opioids in Major Drug Bust, Arrests 80-Year-Old
…as Drug Mule Excretes 76 Wraps of Cocaine at Kano Airport
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has intercepted an alarming N16.1 billion worth of opioids and arrested key individuals, including an octogenarian and family members of a community leader.
This success comes as part of ongoing efforts to combat drug abuse and trafficking across the country.
On Tuesday, 17th and Friday, 20th September 2024, NDLEA operatives seized a staggering 25 million pills of tapentadol, an opioid three times more potent than tramadol, along with 350,000 bottles of codeine-based syrup at the Tincan port complex in Lagos.
Acting on processed intelligence, the Agency had placed the three containers carrying the illegal substances on a watchlist, leading to the seizure.
A joint examination by NDLEA, the Nigeria Customs Service, and other security agencies revealed that the tapentadol consignment, found in 500 cartons, has an estimated street value of N13.7 billion, while the codeine-laden cough syrup is worth N2.45 billion. This brings the total street value of the drugs to N16.175 billion.
In a separate operation in Lagos on 20th September, NDLEA arrested 80-year-old Pa Aremu Shojobi at his Iyana Ipaja home with 14 kilograms of cannabis.
The elderly man confessed to selling illicit drugs for over 25 years, stating that he sources his supply from Benin Republic and operates from his home daily between 7 am and 10 pm.
In another raid on 18th September, operatives stormed the homes of Alhaji Bashir Mohammed Talba, the community leader and Sarkin Yamma of Badagry West Local Council Development Area (LCDA).
From his two wives and son, 226 kilograms of cannabis were recovered. His first wife, Asma’u Bashiru, and son, Sadat Bashiru, were caught with 57.6 kilograms of cannabis, while his second wife, Hauwa Bashir, was found with 168.6 kilograms. Alhaji Talba remains at large.
The anti-narcotics agency also intercepted 720 blocks of Arizona cannabis, weighing 390 kilograms, from a Mitsubishi van in the Ojo area of Lagos on 16th September.
Meanwhile, at Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport, NDLEA agents arrested 38-year-old Okafor Ifeanyi Anthony on 15th September as he attempted to smuggle 76 wraps of cocaine to Iran. After three days in excretion observation, Okafor expelled the 1.267 kilograms of cocaine.
Other nationwide seizures included 700,000 pills of exol-5 intended for distribution in Kano and Kaduna, confiscated along the Okene-Lokoja-Abuja expressway in Kogi State on 17th September, and 49,000 tramadol tablets, 20,000 diazepam tablets, and 100 ampoules of tramadol injection recovered in Niger State on 20th September.
Additionally, a total of 451 blocks of cannabis weighing 213 kilograms were intercepted in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, while operatives in Plateau State arrested Jonathan Ali Abuttur, a long-wanted suspect, with 808 kilograms of cannabis. In Kwara State, another suspect, Shaibu Musa, was nabbed with 28 kilograms of cannabis.
Chairman of the NDLEA, Brigadier General Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), praised the operatives for their dedication, stating that the Agency’s approach to both drug supply and demand reduction is yielding results. He commended the efforts of the Lagos, Tincan, Kano, Niger, Plateau, Rivers, Kogi, and Kwara Commands for their successful operations.
Across the country, the NDLEA continues its War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) campaign, conducting sensitisation programmes in schools, markets, and communities to raise awareness about the dangers of drug use.
As the NDLEA intensifies its efforts to rid Nigeria of illicit drugs, these operations mark a significant blow to drug cartels, furthering the Agency’s mission to secure the nation against the threat of substance abuse.
