The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has intercepted more than 1.3 million pills and capsules of tramadol and other opioids as well as over 6,000kg of cannabis, with a combined street value of more than N3.4 billion, in intelligence-led operations across several states and the Federal Capital Territory.
The operations also led to the arrest of a 49-year-old man who allegedly impersonated a senior police officer to evade checkpoints while transporting drugs, the recovery of two locally fabricated AK-47 rifles, a pistol and ammunition from three young suspects in Niger State, and the destruction of a 5,000kg cannabis farm in Ondo State.
In Delta State, NDLEA operatives arrested the alleged fake police officer, identified as Innocent Ekpe, on September 16 along the Benin-Onitsha Expressway in Asaba with 292.48kg of skunk concealed in a Toyota Sienna bus. The agency said investigation revealed that Ekpe had allegedly been using the identity of “Godwin Emeka”, a Deputy Superintendent of Police, with a forged identity card to evade scrutiny at checkpoints. His alleged accomplice, 39-year-old Nduka Joseph, was also arrested.
At the Tin-Can Island Port in Lagos, NDLEA operatives and other security agencies on September 16 uncovered 1,200 parcels of Canadian Loud weighing 603.75kg and valued at N1.811 billion. The drugs were concealed in 31 black jumbo bags loaded inside two Toyota Sienna vehicles shipped from Montreal, Canada, in a 40-foot container.
In Edo State, 45-year-old Matthew Ossai was arrested at his auto-repair workshop on Agbor Road, Benin City, which the agency said was being used as a front for storing illicit drugs. NDLEA officers recovered 48kg of Canadian Loud and 152 grams of methamphetamine from the premises.
In Niger State, three suspects—20-year-old Bashir Usman and 18-year-olds Abubakar Nuhu and Abdulrahman Abdulwahab—were arrested along the Abuja-Kaduna Expressway at Chachi, Tafa Local Government Area. Two locally fabricated AK-47 rifles, a magazine, a locally made pistol, a magazine and nine rounds of 9mm ammunition were recovered from them.
Along the Abaji-Abuja Highway, two other suspects, Aminu Isyaku, 23, and Jamilu Habibu, 25, were arrested with 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, NDLEA operatives arrested Onyeka Ofor at his residence in Aguda, Surulere, with 48,900 tablets of tramadol 225mg. Another 59kg of cannabis sativa was intercepted at a logistics company, leading to the arrest of Luke Ugokwe, while 43-year-old Ibrahim Hudu was arrested at Apongbo with 998.38kg of nitrous oxide gas.
In Gombe State, 154,480 capsules of tramadol were recovered from two suspects, Sabi’u Umar, 27, and Hassana Muhammad, 19, who were arrested at Barunde and Gombe Main Market respectively.
The agency also reported the arrest of 25-year-old Ifesinachi Godwin along the Owerri-Onitsha Road in Imo State 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. NDLEA said about 5,000kg of cannabis was destroyed at the site, while 48kg of dry and fresh cannabis was recovered for prosecution.
Meanwhile, NDLEA commands and formations across the country continued their War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) sensitisation campaigns in schools, worship centres, workplaces and communities.
The Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (rtd), commended the officers and men of the Lagos, Tin-Can, Edo, Niger, Delta, Ondo, Gombe, Imo and FCT Commands for what he described as professionalism and intelligence-driven operations.
Marwa urged personnel across the country to sustain the agency’s balanced approach to drug control, combining enforcement operations with prevention, sensitisation and community engagement.
Available next action: Create a downloadable PDF file here in this chat containing the finalized decisions and immediate actions above
