In a recent crackdown on illegal drug activities, the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has successfully conducted a series of operations resulting in significant drug seizures and multiple arrests across various states in Nigeria.
On Saturday, August 19th, the NDLEA operatives discovered and seized an extensive cache of illicit drugs from a hidden warehouse within the International Trade Fair Complex in Lagos. The warehouse, owned by a wanted billionaire drug lord, yielded a staggering haul, including 1.4 million pills of tramadol 225mg weighing 826kgs, 3.2 million pills of codeine with a total weight of 3,360kgs, and 2,841 cartons of codeine syrup holding 284,100 bottles and 28,410 liters of the psychoactive substance. The street value of the seized drugs was estimated to be an astounding N4.82 billion. During the operation, Paulinus Ojukwu, the Chief Security Officer to the drug baron, was arrested and is now cooperating with ongoing investigations.
The operation in Lagos followed the arrest of another significant figure, Faith Ebele Nwankwo, on August 9th, who was found with 2,750,000 pills of tramadol at her residence and a separate warehouse in Festac, Lagos.
In addition to these operations, NDLEA operatives intercepted counterfeit currency on Friday, August 18th, along the Abaji – Lokoja road in the Federal Capital Territory. The suspected counterfeit notes, amounting to $20 million, were discovered in a bus traveling from Lagos to Abuja, leading to the arrest of the 53-year-old driver, Onyebuchi Nlededin.
The NDLEA’s efforts were further evident in a string of raids, where on August 17th, Jude Ndubuisi was arrested with 2.2 kilograms of methamphetamine. Another operation on August 16th resulted in the recovery of 82.8kg of skunk, 1.8kg of rohypnol, and 1.2kg of diazepam from two notorious drug joints in the FCT: Dei Dei and Tora-Bora Hills.
The fight against drug cultivation and distribution extended to the state of Osun, where NDLEA operatives destroyed cannabis farms spanning approximately 7.5 tons in Mopatedo in Ifedayo local government area. Two suspects, Sunday Otogbo and Peter Andel Makra, were arrested within the cannabis farms, along with the recovery of additional cannabis products.
A series of interdiction efforts on August 19th along the Owerri-Onitsha expressway in Imo state led to the seizure of a 168kg cannabis consignment and the arrest of three suspects. Similarly, a shipment of controlled drugs containing tramadol, swinol, codeine syrup, and Molly was seized on August 13th, and a subsequent operation in Oyigbo area of Port Harcourt resulted in the arrest of the consignment owner, Remigius Ogechukwu.
Notably, the operations targeted teenage involvement in drug-related activities as well. Nineteen-year-old Boniface Odinakachukwu was apprehended with 99.4kg of skunk in Enugu state, while a wanted teenage bandit, Aliyu Mohammed Altine, was arrested with skunk on the Illela-Sokoto road.
Commending the officers’ professionalism and the outcomes of these operations, NDLEA Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Retd), encouraged Lagos command operatives to track down the elusive drug baron and emphasized the need for intensified efforts against drug cartels across the nation.
