Felix Temitope, Abuja
DAILY COURIER - In a major anti-narcotic operation, the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has intercepted 25 million pills of tapentadol, a potent opioid, and 350,000 bottles of codeine-based cough syrup at the Tincan Port Complex in Lagos. The seized substances have an estimated street value of ₦14.9 billion.
According to a statement today by the agency's spokesperson, Femi Babafemi, the seizures were made on Tuesday, September 17, and Friday, September 20, 2024, from three containers that had been flagged for inspection based on processed intelligence. NDLEA officials, alongside personnel from the Nigeria Customs Service and other security agencies, conducted a 100% joint examination of the containers.
The 25 million pills of tapentadol, packed in 500 cartons, were discovered on September 17, with a street value of ₦13.725 billion. Additionally, 175,000 bottles of Barcadin cough syrup with codeine and another 175,000 bottles of CSC cough syrup with codeine were seized during separate inspections on the same day and on September 20, with a combined street value of ₦2.45 billion.
In a separate development, NDLEA operatives arrested an 80-year-old man, Pa Aremu Shojobi, in Iyana Ipaja, Lagos, with 14 kilograms of cannabis. Shojobi, in his statement, revealed that he had been dealing in illicit drugs for 25 years, sourcing his supply from Benin Republic and selling to customers from his home.
Also in Lagos, the wives and son of a prominent community leader, Alhaji Bashir Mohammed Talba, were arrested after NDLEA operatives raided his two homes on September 18. Alhaji Talba, the Sarkin Yamma of Badagry West LCDA, is currently at large. The operatives recovered 226 kilograms of cannabis from his residences. His first wife, Asma'u Bashiru, 35, and son, Sadat Bashiru, 22, were caught with 93 compressed blocks of cannabis weighing 57.6kg, while his second wife, Hauwa Bashir, 42, was found with 168.6kg of the same substance.
Additionally, NDLEA operatives confiscated 720 blocks of Arizona, a strain of cannabis weighing 390kg, from a Mitsubishi delivery van in Ojo, Lagos, on September 16.
At Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport, Kano, NDLEA officers arrested 38-year-old Okafor Ifeanyi Anthony on September 15, as he attempted to board a Qatar Airways flight to Iran via Doha. Okafor had ingested 76 wraps of cocaine, which he later excreted over three days under observation. The recovered cocaine weighed 1.267 kilograms.
Nationwide Drug Interdictions
The NDLEA’s operations extended to multiple states, including Kogi, Niger, Rivers, Plateau, and Kwara. On September 17, operatives patrolling the Okene-Lokoja-Abuja expressway recovered 700,000 pills of exol-5, bound for distribution in Kano and Kaduna. Another suspect, Udemefuna Chibuike, 23, was arrested on September 20 along the Mokwa-Jebba road, Niger State, with large quantities of tramadol and diazepam.
In Port Harcourt, Rivers State, NDLEA officers seized 213kg of cannabis from 33-year-old Ogochukwu Paul on September 18, while he was transporting the drugs to a notorious drug hub in Borikiri. In Plateau State, wanted drug trafficker Jonathan Ali Abuttur, 46, was arrested on September 20 with 808kg of cannabis, concealed in sugar and fertilizer bags.
Similarly, in Kwara, operatives arrested Shaibu Musa with 28kg of cannabis.
NDLEA Chairman, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), praised the agency’s officers for their efforts in intercepting the drugs and arresting the suspects. He acknowledged their balanced approach to both drug supply reduction and demand reduction through the WADA campaign.
“These operational successes demonstrate the commitment of our officers across the country, and their contribution to the fight against drug trafficking is well appreciated,” Marwa said.
The NDLEA remains committed to its mission of eradicating drug abuse and trafficking in Nigeria, as evidenced by these recent successful operations.