The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has made significant drug seizures at various locations, including the Port Harcourt Ports in Rivers State and the Tincan seaport in Lagos. The agency intercepted 13.298 million pills of opioids, including Tramadol, Tramaking Quick Action Tramadol, Tamol-X, Royal Tapentadol, and Carisoprodol, along with 338,253 bottles of codeine-based cough syrup. These drugs have an estimated street value exceeding N9.017 billion.
The drugs were discovered in three containers arriving from India during a 100% joint examination conducted by NDLEA operatives in collaboration with the Nigerian Customs Service and other port stakeholders on October 3 and 4, 2024.
In another operation, NDLEA operatives at the Tincan seaport intercepted 100 parcels of Canadian Loud, a potent strain of cannabis, weighing 50kg. The drugs were concealed in a container alongside four imported vehicles and were traced back to a warehouse in Ikorodu, Lagos, thanks to credible intelligence. A suspect, Abubakar Ibrahim, has been taken into custody regarding this seizure.
Additionally, a 41-year-old Canadian woman, Adrienne Munju, was arrested at Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos, for importing a large consignment of Canadian Loud. During the examination of her luggage on October 3, 2024, authorities found 74 parcels of the illicit substance weighing 35.20 kilograms. In her statement, Munju claimed she had been recruited to traffic the drugs through an online platform for 10,000 Canadian dollars to fund her master’s degree program in Canada.
The NDLEA also reported other significant seizures and arrests:
- On October 3, officers intercepted a commercial bus in Taraba, recovering large quantities of opioids, including Tramadol and Rohypnol, concealed within the vehicle. Two suspects, Pako Thomas and Emmanuel Anyigor, were arrested.
- Chibuzor Okafor was arrested on October 2 in Wukari with 80 blocks of cannabis weighing 38kg, hidden in bags of garri.
- On October 4, Bolanle Ajenifuja was apprehended in Lagos with 700 liters of a concoction known as “skuchies,” a mix of local chapman and illicit drugs.
- NDLEA operatives also raided two cannabis farms in a boundary community between Edo and Ondo states, destroying 9,966.332 kg of cannabis over three hectares of farmland and recovering 48kg of processed psychoactive substances.
These operations underscore the NDLEA’s ongoing commitment to combat drug trafficking and enhance public safety in Nigeria.