In a series of high-profile operations, the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) disrupted major drug trafficking syndicates operating in Nigeria, making multiple arrests and intercepting narcotics valued at over N7 billion.
Femi Babafemi, the Director of Media and Advocacy, disclosed this on the agency’s official X handle on Sunday. The latest drug busts occurred at Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) in Lagos, as well as the Apapa and Onne seaports, highlighting the increasing scale of the illicit drug trade in the country.
Among those apprehended were two businessmen, Ihejirika Okechukwu Emmanuel and Iwuagwu Ikedi Victory, alongside a Canada-based nurse, Usman Grace Khadijat Olami. Emmanuel, 51, was caught attempting to board an Ethiopian Airlines flight to Thailand on October 15, 2024, with five egg-sized wraps of cocaine weighing 400 grams hidden in his body. He confessed to authorities that he planned to sell the drugs to boost his fish importation business.
Victory, 26, was similarly arrested on October 17, 2024, while arriving from Brazil via Addis Ababa. He had ingested 30 wraps of cocaine, though he only excreted one pellet upon arrival in Lagos, having handed over the remainder to a contact in Ethiopia.
The arrest of Usman Grace Khadijat Olami, a nurse from Canada, further highlighted the sophistication of international trafficking networks. She was found with 70 parcels of synthetic cannabis, known as Loud, weighing 35.7 kg, in her luggage on October 4, 2024. Olami claimed her boyfriend had instructed her to smuggle the drugs into Nigeria.
In addition to these airport arrests, the NDLEA’s operations at Nigerian seaports uncovered large quantities of opioids and codeine-based syrups. A joint operation at Apapa seaport on October 15, 2024, led to the seizure of 162,351 bottles of codeine syrup. Meanwhile, at Port Harcourt Port Complex in Onne, Rivers State, officers intercepted two shipments containing over 22 million opioid pills valued at N7.1 billion.
Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of the NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), commended the agency’s officers for their efforts, stating, “The operational successes of our commands across the country highlight the balanced approach we are taking to reduce both the supply and demand of drugs. Our work is far from done, but every victory counts.”
As part of its holistic campaign against drug abuse, the NDLEA has also ramped up its War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) sensitization program, visiting schools and communities across Nigeria to educate the public on the dangers of drug addiction.
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