Felix Temitope, Abuja
DAILY COURIER - A wanted former beauty queen, Aderinoye Queen Christmas, who had been on the run for eight months, has surrendered to the Lagos Command of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA). This development comes as the NDLEA made significant seizures of opioids worth N17.9 billion at the Port Harcourt Port Complex, Onne, Rivers State, and Tincan Seaport in Lagos.
According to a statement today by the agency's spokesperson, Femi Babafemi revealed that Ms. Aderinoye, also known as Queen Oluwadamilola Aderinoye, was declared wanted in January after escaping from her residence in Lekki, Lagos, during a raid by NDLEA operatives. The raid, conducted on January 24th, was based on credible intelligence that the former beauty queen was involved in the illicit drug trade. During the search, 606 grams of Canadian Loud, an electronic weighing scale, and large quantities of drug packaging materials were recovered from her home. The raid also led to the seizure of a black RAV 4 SUV and other items.
Ms. Aderinoye, who once held the title of Miss Commonwealth Nigeria Culture 2015/2016 and is the founder of the Queen Christmas Foundation, claimed she had been hiding in Akure, Ondo State, since her escape. She turned herself in to the NDLEA on August 28th.
This surrender coincided with one of the largest drug seizures in recent times. The NDLEA intercepted a staggering 31,124,600 pills of tramadol (225mg) and bottles of codeine-based syrup at the Lagos and Port Harcourt ports. These seizures, valued at over N17.9 billion in street value, were the result of coordinated intelligence and collaboration with the Nigerian Customs Service and other security agencies.
At Tincan Port in Lagos, NDLEA operatives recovered 350,000 bottles of codeine-based syrup from two containers on August 29th and 30th. Each container held 175,000 bottles of the opioid. Simultaneously, at the Port Harcourt Port Complex, a total of 447 cartons containing 29,840,000 pills of tramadol (225mg) and 380,000 bottles of codeine syrup were seized from three containers on August 29th. The tramadol shipments were disguised under various brand names, including Royal Tapentadol, Carisoprodol 225mg, and Royal Tramadol Hydrochloride 225mg.
The following day, on August 30th, three additional containers at the Onne Port were subjected to joint examination, leading to the discovery of 3,030 cartons containing 554,600 bottles of codeine syrup. The combined seizure of tramadol and codeine at the Lagos and Port Harcourt ports amounted to a significant blow against the illicit drug trade, with 29,840,000 pills of tramadol and 1,284,600 bottles of codeine removed from circulation.
In a related operation, NDLEA operatives at the Port Harcourt International Airport on August 27th arrested Eze Emekan Don, who attempted to board a flight to Malabo, Equatorial Guinea, with 1,490 pills of tramadol disguised as cosmetics in his luggage. His attempt to bribe the officers was unsuccessful, leading to his arrest.
Additional arrests were made across the country, including the seizure of 1,122 kilograms of cannabis from Mustapha Ibrahim in Lagos and 1,900 capsules of tramadol, 300 bottles of codeine syrup, and 600 packets of exol-5 tablets from Friday Gabriel in Niger State. In Bauchi State, two suspects, Garba Muhammed and Usman Yakubu Shehu, were apprehended with 246.4 kilograms of cannabis concealed in a J5 bus.
The NDLEA's efforts extend beyond drug seizures, with continued War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) sensitization activities in schools, workplaces, and communities across the nation.
Commending the officers involved in these operations, NDLEA Chairman Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd) praised their vigilance and professionalism. He also acknowledged the support of stakeholders at the ports, which contributed to the successful interception of the illicit drug shipments. Marwa further lauded the agency’s balance in addressing both drug demand reduction and supply reduction efforts across Nigeria.
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