Kehinde Fajobi
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) announced on Sunday that it has dismantled two major drug trafficking syndicates, seizing cocaine and opioids worth billions of naira and arresting six key cartel members across Nigeria.
NDLEA spokesperson Femi Babafemi revealed that the crackdown included a large seizure at Apapa Seaport in Lagos on November 6, where agents intercepted 31.75 million tablets of 240mg Voltron, a controlled opioid, hidden in a container from India falsely labeled as diclofenac sodium tablets.
Babafemi stated that these networks were tracked through months of intelligence, with syndicate members operating in areas such as Mubi, Onitsha, and Lagos, and suspected of supplying drugs to terror groups in Nigeria and Cameroon.
Among those arrested were Ibrahim Bawuro, Najib Ibrahim, Ibrahim Umar, Nelson Udechukwu Anayo, Ezeh Amaechi Martin, and Adejumo Elijah Ishola.
Babafemi explained that the syndicates sourced drugs like tramadol from Onitsha, concealed them in modified vehicle compartments, and transported them to the North and Cameroon.
One operation on October 7 led to the arrest of Bawuro and Najib after a pursuit from Onitsha to Taraba, with agents seizing 276,500 tramadol pills.
Follow-up raids in Delta and Anambra resulted in more arrests, assisted by the NDLEA’s Directorate of Intelligence.
In another case, Adejumo Elijah Ishola was caught at the Seme Border with 3.3 kg of cocaine and 600 grams of synthetic cannabis, having trafficked drugs from Ghana into Nigeria.
The NDLEA also intercepted a package containing 700 grams of “Loud,” a potent cannabis strain, at Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos, arresting software engineer Olu Marshal when he attempted to collect it.
Further seizures included 32.5 kg of codeine syrup and 5.7 kg of cannabis hidden in a shipment of tiger nuts intended for London.
Additionally, NDLEA agents in Kwara State seized 162,800 opioid pills from local suspects, while in the FCT, they confiscated 755.5 kg of cannabis hidden under noodle cartons on the Abaji-Kwali Road.
In Taraba and Plateau States, large amounts of cannabis were seized, with multiple arrests made, including a Chadian national in Kano with 3,000 tramadol pills.
Raids in Kaduna, Edo, and Ondo States uncovered significant cannabis hauls and more suspects.
NDLEA’s War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) campaign included outreach to schools, workplaces, and traditional rulers, with Chairman Brig. Gen.
Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd.) commending officers for their dedication to tackling drug abuse and trafficking.