The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has made a significant interception, seizing 6,125 cartons of codeine syrup, valued at over N7.3 billion, at the Port Harcourt Ports complex in Rivers State. This major operation, announced by Femi Babafemi on June 30, 2024, resulted in the recovery of 1,050,000 bottles of codeine, weighing 157,500 kilograms. The seizure followed credible intelligence and diligent tracking by NDLEA’s special operations unit, working in collaboration with the Port Harcourt Ports Command, the Customs Service, and other security agencies.
In another significant bust, NDLEA officers at Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) in Lagos arrested two passengers, Aikhomoun Daniel (alias Oladapo Olanrewaju) and Ayigoro Waheed Omobolaji, after they tested positive for ingesting illicit substances. Daniel excreted 90 wraps of cocaine weighing 1.022 kg, while Ayigoro discharged 60 wraps weighing 662 grams. Investigations revealed that Daniel had stolen his late uncle’s identity to obtain a Schengen visa for easier access to Europe.
On June 28, NDLEA operatives recovered 40.32 kg of an imported cannabis strain known as Loud from a black Toyota Tacoma truck in Lagos. The driver abandoned the vehicle after noticing he was being trailed by NDLEA operatives.
In Abuja, a drug party titled “Go Hard or Go Home. Pick Your Poison” was disrupted on June 29, resulting in the arrest of 60 individuals. Six suspects were found with ecstasy and cannabis. NDLEA Chairman/Chief Executive Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (rtd) directed the release of 20 suspects who tested negative for drugs and bail for 33 others who tested positive, pending treatment and counseling.
In Edo State, NDLEA operatives destroyed 18,632.22 kilograms of cannabis on 7.452888-hectare farmland and arrested four suspects during a raid.
The NDLEA’s War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) campaign continued with sensitization activities across the country, including lectures and advocacy visits to schools, worship centers, and communities. These activities included enlightening students and staff at institutions such as First Technical University in Ibadan, Oyo State; Government Day Secondary School in Yola, Adamawa; Ezeike High School in Nibo, Anambra; and Mount Zion Anglican Church in Igoba, Akure, Ondo State. The agency also visited the palace of the Oba of Yoruba in Kano, Dr. Murtala Alimi Otitese, to promote the WADA campaign.
Brig. Gen. Marwa commended the agency’s officers for their dedication and urged them to maintain their commitment to drug control. He emphasized that their persistent efforts, in collaboration with other stakeholders, would continue to outsmart drug cartels and thwart their operations.
