Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have intercepted more than 1.3 million pills of tramadol and other opioids, along with 6,000 kilograms of cannabis, with a combined street value of over N3.4 billion. The operations covered Lagos, Edo, Niger, Delta, Ondo, Gombe, Imo and the FCT.
The agency said the seizures were “a string of major operational breakthroughs” in a statement issued Sunday by its Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi.
The most notable arrest was that of a trafficker who posed as a senior police officer. NDLEA operatives on Wednesday, September 16, arrested 49-year-old Innocent Ekpe along the Benin-Onitsha expressway in Asaba, Delta State, with 292.48kg of skunk hidden in his silver Toyota Sienna bus.
According to the statement, investigators established that Ekpe had “long paraded himself as Godwin Emeka, a Deputy Superintendent of Police,” using a forged ID card “to escape scrutiny at checkpoints.” An accomplice, 39-year-old Nduka Joseph, was arrested with him.
At the Tin-Can Island Port in Lagos, a 40-foot container shipped from Montreal, Canada, which arrived on September 12, was placed under monitoring based on intelligence.
A joint physical examination with Customs and other agencies on September 16 uncovered 1,200 parcels of Canadian Loud, a synthetic strain of cannabis, weighing 603.75kg.
The drugs were “concealed inside 31 black jumbo bags” loaded in two Toyota Sienna vehicles inside the container. The consignment is valued at N1,811,250,000.
In Edo State, acting on intelligence, operatives raided a location on Agbor Road, Benin City, and arrested 45-year-old Matthew Ossai. The agency said he “used his auto-repair workshop as a front for storing illicit drugs.” Officers recovered 48kg of Canadian Loud and 152 grams of methamphetamine.
In Niger State, operatives on patrol along the Abuja-Kaduna expressway at Chachi, Tafa LGA, on Tuesday, September 15, arrested three young suspects: Bashir Usman (20), Abubakar Nuhu (18) and Abdulrahman Abdulwahab (18).
They were found with two locally fabricated AK-47 rifles and a magazine, a locally made pistol with a magazine, and nine rounds of 9mm ammunition, “concealed in a black travel bag.”
On Friday, September 18, officers along the Abaji-Abuja highway arrested Aminu Isyaku (23) and Jamilu Habibu (25). They recovered over 1.1 million assorted tramadol tablets and capsules, codeine syrup, methamphetamine and Exol tablets, packed in eight sacks. The drugs were “en route from Onitsha, Anambra State to Mararaba, Nasarawa State.”
In Lagos, Onyeka Ofor was arrested at his residence in Aguda, Surulere, with 48,900 pills of tramadol 225mg. Seven cartons of cannabis sativa weighing 59kg were intercepted at a logistics company, and suspect Luke Ugokwe was taken into custody. In another operation, Ibrahim Hudu (43) was arrested at Apongbo with 998.38kg of nitrous oxide gas on Thursday, September 17.
In Gombe State, a total of 154,480 capsules of tramadol were recovered from Sabi’u Umar (27) and Hassana Muhammad (19), who were arrested at the Barunde area and Gombe main market, respectively, on September 18. In Imo State, Ifesinachi Godwin (25) was arrested along the Owerri-Onitsha road with 43.85kg of skunk.
In Ondo State, four suspects, Blessing Effiong, Saviour Peter, David Friday Sunday and Ability Peter Sunday, were arrested during a raid on a two-hectare cannabis farm in Ita-Ogbolu forest on September 15. Operatives destroyed 5,000kg of skunk on the farm and recovered no less than 48kg of dry and fresh cannabis as evidence for prosecution.
Alongside the raids, NDLEA commands continued their War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) sensitisation activities in schools, worship centres, workplaces and communities. Lectures were held at St. Ferdinand School, Ogbomoso, Oyo; Unizik Secondary School, Awka, Anambra; Scholars Nursery and Primary School, Epe, Lagos; and Government Technical Training School, Jalingo, Taraba.
The Delta Ports Command also paid an advocacy visit to the Pere Ama-Okosu of Ogbe-Ijoh Warri Kingdom, King Couple Mackson Oromoni Mobene III.
NDLEA Chairman/Chief Executive Officer, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (rtd), commended the officers of the Lagos, Tincan, Edo, Niger, Delta, Ondo, Gombe, Imo and FCT Commands for their “professionalism and intelligence-driven approach.”
He urged them and their colleagues nationwide to continue with the agency’s “balanced approach” to drug control.
