…Agency recovers 1.3m opioid pills, 6,000kg cannabis in nationwide raids
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has intercepted illicit drugs worth more than N3.4 billion, including over 1.3 million tramadol and other opioid pills and capsules and about 6,000 kilograms of cannabis, in a series of intelligence-led operations across Lagos, Edo, Niger, Delta, Ondo, Gombe, Imo and the Federal Capital Territory.
The operations also led to the arrest of a 49-year-old man allegedly impersonating a senior police officer to evade security checks while transporting illicit drugs, as well as three young suspects found with locally fabricated AK-47 rifles, a pistol and ammunition in Niger State.
One of the biggest seizures involved 1,200 parcels of Canadian Loud, a potent strain of cannabis weighing 603.75kg and valued at N1.811 billion.
NDLEA operatives intercepted the consignment at the Tin-Can Island Port in Lagos after placing a 40-foot container shipped from Montreal, Canada, under surveillance following intelligence received by the agency.
The container, which arrived on September 12, was subjected to a joint physical examination by NDLEA, Customs and other security agencies on September 16.
During the search, operatives discovered the Canadian Loud concealed in 31 black jumbo bags loaded inside two Toyota Sienna vehicles.
In Delta State, operatives arrested Innocent Ekpe, 49, on September 16 along the Benin-Onitsha Expressway in Asaba with 292.48kg of skunk concealed in a silver Toyota Sienna bus.
The agency said preliminary investigation revealed that Ekpe had allegedly been parading himself as Godwin Emeka, a Deputy Superintendent of Police, and using a forged police identification card to evade scrutiny at checkpoints while transporting illicit drugs across state lines.
His alleged accomplice, 39-year-old Nduka Joseph, was also arrested.
In Edo State, NDLEA operatives acting on intelligence raided a location along Agbor Road, Benin City, where they arrested 45-year-old Matthew Ossai, who allegedly used his automobile repair workshop as a cover for drug activities.
Operatives recovered 48kg of Canadian Loud and 152 grams of methamphetamine, as well as a metal box allegedly used to store the illicit substances.
In Niger State, three young suspects — Bashir Usman, 20; Abubakar Nuhu, 18; and Abdulrahman Abdulwahab, 18 — were arrested on September 15 during a patrol along the Abuja-Kaduna Expressway at Chachi, Tafa Local Government Area.
The suspects were allegedly 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.
Also in Niger State, NDLEA operatives arrested Aminu Isyaku, 23, and Jamilu Habibu, 25, along the Abaji-Abuja Highway on September 18.
Recovered from them were more than 1.1 million assorted tramadol tablets and capsules, codeine syrup, methamphetamine and Exol tablets, concealed in eight sacks reportedly being transported from Onitsha, Anambra State, to Mararaba, Nasarawa State.
In Lagos, Onyeka Ofor was arrested at his residence in Aguda, Surulere, on September 18 with 48,900 tablets of tramadol 225mg.
At a logistics company in the state, NDLEA operatives also intercepted seven cartons of cannabis sativa weighing 59kg, leading to the arrest of Luke Ugokwe.
Another suspect, Ibrahim Hudu, 43, was arrested at Apongbo on September 17 with 998.38kg of nitrous oxide gas.
In Gombe State, NDLEA officers recovered 154,480 capsules of tramadol from two suspects, Sabi’u Umar, 27, and Hassana Muhammad, 19, who were arrested at Barunde 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.
Meanwhile, four suspects — Blessing Effiong, Saviour Peter, David Friday Sunday and Ability Peter Sunday — were arrested during a raid on a cannabis farm in Ita-Ogbolu Forest, Ondo State.