Felix Temitope, Abuja
DAILY COURIER – A 41-year-old Canadian woman, Adrienne Munju, has been arrested by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) in Lagos for attempting to import a large consignment of ‘Canadian Loud’, a potent strain of synthetic cannabis. The arrest occurred during passenger clearance for a KLM airline flight from Canada on October 3.
During a thorough inspection of Munju's luggage, officials discovered 74 parcels of the illicit substance, totaling 35.20 kilograms, hidden within two of her three bags. In her statement, Munju revealed she was recruited via an online platform to transport the drugs in exchange for 10,000 Canadian dollars, citing financial strain from her master's degree program in Canada as her motivation.
In a related operation, NDLEA operatives at the Port Harcourt Ports in Rivers State intercepted an alarming shipment of 13,298,000 pills of opioids—including various forms of Tramadol and Carisoprodol—as well as 338,253 bottles of codeine-based cough syrup. The total street value of this haul is estimated at over N9 billion. The drugs were recovered from three containers arriving from India during a joint examination conducted with Nigerian Customs officials on October 2 and 3.
On the same day, NDLEA agents at the Tincan seaport in Lagos seized another 100 parcels of Canadian Loud, weighing 50 kg. This shipment had been cleverly concealed in a container alongside four imported vehicles. The investigation led to a warehouse in Ikorodu, where the drugs were found hidden within a Toyota Sienna bus. A suspect identified as Abubakar Shuaibu Ibrahim has been arrested in connection with this case.
In Taraba State, NDLEA officers intercepted a commercial bus traveling from Onitsha to Jalingo, where they discovered concealed opioids, including tramadol and rohypnol. Two suspects, Pako Thomas and Emmanuel Anyigor, were arrested. Additionally, another individual, Chibuzor Okafor, was apprehended in Wukari with 80 blocks of cannabis hidden in bags of garri.
Further operations led to the arrest of Bolanle Ajenifuja in Lagos, where 700 liters of 'skuchies'—a mixture of local cocktails and illicit drugs—were confiscated. Three other suspects were nabbed following a raid on cannabis farms straddling Edo and Ondo states, resulting in the destruction of nearly 10,000 kg of cannabis on over three hectares of farmland.
The NDLEA has intensified its "War Against Drug Abuse" (WADA) initiatives, conducting sensitization campaigns in schools, places of worship, and communities across the country over the past week. Notable engagements included lectures at various schools in Katsina, Ebonyi, Osun, and Akwa Ibom states.
Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), Chairman and CEO of the NDLEA, commended the agency's operatives for their successful operations and emphasized the importance of their dual approach to combating drug supply and demand across Nigeria.
The agency's rigorous efforts underscore its commitment to tackling drug trafficking and abuse in the country, highlighting the growing challenges posed by illicit drug networks.
