NDLEA Foils Europe-Bound Drug Syndicates, Seizes Huge Drug Consignments
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has disrupted multiple attempts by drug traffickers to export illicit substances, including cocaine, methamphetamine, and opioids, through major Nigerian airports and across international borders.
Major Busts at Lagos and Abuja Airports
At the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos, NDLEA operatives intercepted 13 parcels of cocaine weighing 4.40kg destined for the UK via Frankfurt on November 5, 2024. Similarly, on November 11, Adegbite Solomon (aka “Obama”) was arrested with 7,800 pills of tramadol, 180 tablets of Rohypnol, and 60 bottles of codeine concealed in food items while attempting to board an Ethiopian Airlines flight to Italy.
Another suspect, Anoke Roomy, was caught on November 15 with 1,100 tramadol pills hidden in his luggage, as he prepared to board a flight to Istanbul, Turkey.
In Abuja, NDLEA agents acting on intelligence raided a hotel in Lugbe, arresting two suspects, Omeh Uchenna Jude and Anene Valentine Chigozie, with 1.8kg of methamphetamine they intended to smuggle to Qatar.
Cross-Border Smuggling Operations
On November 16, a trans-border drug trafficker, Emmanuel Okechukwu Okeke, was apprehended while smuggling 50,000 pills of tramadol 225mg from Ghana to Lagos. The pills were hidden in the body compartments of a Toyota Hummer Bus intercepted at Ijanikin along the Lagos-Badagry Expressway.
Raids Across States
The NDLEA also conducted successful raids in several states:
- Edo State: Officers recovered 997kg of cannabis in separate operations, including 680kg seized alongside a Sienna bus at Oghada forest, 180.5kg from a suspect, Cecilia Ibe, in Ofosu forest, and 136.5kg from a building in Otuo community.
- Kwara State: A suspect, Adio Sulaiman, was arrested with 120.8kg of cannabis and some codeine in Ilorin West LGA.
- Imo State: Kelechi Obichere was nabbed with 75kg of cannabis in Owerri West LGA.
- Oyo State: NDLEA agents arrested a 60-year-old suspect, Anthony Anakabi, recovering 563.74kg of cannabis in Iyalode, Ibadan.
Sustained Crackdown
The NDLEA reiterated its commitment to combating drug trafficking and ensuring the safety of communities. These operations highlight the agency’s robust efforts to dismantle syndicates and curb the flow of illicit substances within and beyond Nigeria.
