NDLEA Thwarts Major Drug Trafficking Attempts to the UK, Italy, and Beyond
Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have disrupted multiple drug trafficking operations aimed at exporting illicit substances to destinations including the United Kingdom, Italy, Turkey, and Qatar. The interceptions occurred at Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, and Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.
On November 5, 2024, NDLEA officers intercepted 13 parcels of cocaine, weighing 4.40kg, at the Lagos airport’s export shed. The shipment, bound for the UK via Frankfurt on a Lufthansa Airlines flight, was linked to a businessman, Ekeocha Nelson, who was apprehended on November 8.
In another case, a businessman identified as Adegbite Solomon, also known as “Obama,” was arrested on November 11 at the Lagos airport while attempting to export a shipment of opioids, including 7,800 tramadol pills, 180 Rohypnol tablets, and 60 bottles of codeine. NDLEA operatives discovered the drugs concealed in food and other items as Solomon prepared to board an Ethiopian Airlines flight to Italy.
According to NDLEA spokesperson Femi Babafemi, Solomon claimed he had previously traveled to Europe via the Mediterranean Sea and earned a living as a street beggar before venturing into drug logistics.
On November 15, another arrest was made at Lagos airport when businessman Anoke Roomy was caught with 1,100 tramadol pills hidden in his luggage. He was attempting to board a flight to Istanbul, Turkey, on Ethiopian Airlines.
The agency also carried out a separate operation in Abuja on the same day, where officers arrested two suspects, Omeh Uchenna Jude and Anene Valentine Chigozie, at a hotel in Lugbe. The duo was found with 1.8kg of methamphetamine, reportedly being prepared for shipment to Qatar.
In a further intelligence-led operation, trans-border trafficker Emmanuel Okechukwu Okeke was apprehended on November 16 while smuggling 50,000 tramadol pills into Lagos from Ghana. The pills were hidden within the body compartments of a Toyota Hummer Bus belonging to GUO Transport Company, intercepted on the Lagos-Badagry Expressway.
Babafemi also highlighted additional arrests and drug seizures in Edo and Kwara states as part of ongoing efforts to dismantle drug networks across the country.
The NDLEA’s actions underscore its commitment to combating drug trafficking and curbing the influence of criminal syndicates in Nigeria.
