Thailand Returnee Arrested with N3.1 Billion Worth of Heroin at Lagos Airport
…NDLEA intercepts N22.7 Billion Worth of Opioids at Lekki, Apapa, and Onne Seaports
Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have arrested a 29-year-old man, Oguejiofor Nnaemeka Simonpeter, for attempting to smuggle heroin worth over N3.1 billion into Nigeria.
The arrest, a major breakthrough against transnational drug trafficking, occurred at Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Ikeja, Lagos, on Monday, 7th October 2024.
In a statement signed by Femi Babafemi, Director, Media & Advocacy, NDLEA, the Agency disclosed that Oguejiofor, a Thailand returnee and graduate of Mechanical Engineering from Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University, Anambra, had arrived in Lagos after travelling from Thailand via Doha on Qatar Airways.
His attempt to reroute his luggage, which was initially destined for Accra, Ghana, raised suspicion.
NDLEA officers intercepted him while he attempted to exit the airport with two large suitcases containing six backpacks.
Upon searching his luggage, the NDLEA found that each suitcase concealed three backpacks with heroin parcels sewn inside.
The total weight of the heroin was 13.30 kilograms, valued at over N3.192 billion.
During interrogation, Oguejiofor confessed to being hired for $7,000 to deliver the illicit drugs, with two parcels intended for Lagos and four for Accra.
In a related development, NDLEA operatives at three seaports – Lekki, Apapa, and Onne – intercepted large consignments of opioids worth a combined total of N22.7 billion.
These seizures, made between 7th and 11th October 2024, included 32.6 million tramadol pills valued at N12.5 billion and 1.45 million bottles of codeine syrup worth N10.1 billion.
Further drug enforcement operations across the country led to the arrest of Okelue Chidera, 29, in Onitsha, Anambra State, on Saturday, 12th October, for possession of 50,000 tablets of tramadol.
In Edo State, NDLEA raided cannabis transit points, seizing over 1,160 kilograms of the psychoactive substance and arresting two suspects.
The NDLEA continues its War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) initiative, conducting sensitisation activities in schools, places of worship, and communities nationwide.
Institutions engaged include schools in Cross River, Akwa Ibom, Niger, Oyo, Ebonyi, Edo, and Abuja.
NDLEA Chairman, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), commended the agency’s officers for their dedication and success in both supply reduction and demand reduction efforts, emphasising the importance of balanced strategies in the fight against drug abuse.
