NDLEA Intercepts ₦10bn Cocaine, Loud, Opioids at Lagos Ports, Arrests Suspected Drug Kingpins
NDLEA Intercepts ₦10bn Cocaine, Loud, Opioids at Lagos Ports, Arrests Suspected Drug Kingpins
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has intercepted cocaine, synthetic cannabis (Loud) and opioids with a combined estimated street value ofover ₦10 billion in a series of coordinated operations at Lagos airport and seaports, while also arresting suspected drug kingpins linked to the consignments.
The agency said the operations led to the arrest of a 55-year-old businessman, Onuigbo Ndubisi Chinedu, a clothing trader at Balogun Market, Lagos Island, for allegedly attempting to export 3.30 kilograms of cocaine concealed in the walls of cartons containing food items destined for the United Kingdom.
According to the NDLEA, operatives intercepted the cocaine shipment at the export shed of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos, on July 22, before arresting Onuigbo on July 23.
The agency said investigations initially led to the arrest of three cargo agents—Nkwor Onyekachukwu Justina, Adeleke Abiola Taoheed and Ukanwa Grace Pilgrim—who processed the shipment. Their interrogation resulted in the arrest of Kenneth Okakpu, who delivered the consignment for export, while further investigation identified Onuigbo as the alleged leader of the trafficking syndicate. He was subsequently apprehended while allegedly attempting to send another cocaine consignment to the UK.
In a separate operation, NDLEA operatives arrested Emmanuella Chukwu-Edo, 31, at her residence in Surulere, Lagos, on July 21, following the seizure of 2.80kg of Loud, a synthetic strain of cannabis, imported from the United States aboard a United Airlines flight a day earlier.
The anti-narcotics agency also announced the seizure of 2.24 million pills of Tapentadol 250mg, valued at over ₦2.2 billion, from a cargo shipment that arrived from India aboard an Air Maroc flight. The consignment was intercepted during a joint cargo examination on July 24, following intelligence gathered and processed by the agency.
The seizure came shortly after NDLEA officers intercepted another shipment of tramadol concealed inside containers of black soap intended for export to the United Kingdom at a Lagos courier company.
At the Apapa Seaport, operatives uncovered 4,777 sachets of Canadian Loud weighing 2,388.5 kilograms and valued at more than ₦7.1 billion. The drugs were hidden inside three vehicles loaded in a shipping container and discovered during a joint examination on July 20.
Beyond narcotics enforcement, NDLEA operatives also intercepted illegal ammunition during separate operations.
In Katsina State, Mustapha Sani, 30, was arrested at Baure in Safana Local Government Area with 323 rounds of military-grade ammunition, comprising 200 rounds of 7.62mm and 123 rounds of 7.6mm ammunition concealed in his possession.
Similarly, Abubakar Amadu, 30, was arrested during a stop-and-search operation at Jere along the Abuja-Kaduna Expressway with 73 rounds of 7.62mm ammunition hidden inside kegs of red palm oil. The agency said both suspects had been handed over to the appropriate security authorities for further investigation.
In Edo State, raid operations at Ilushi Community in Esan South-East Local Government Area resulted in the seizure of 1,286kg of cannabis and 86kg of cannabis seeds from a warehouse. Operatives also arrested Ojore Onweze, 45, with 60kg of skunk, while George Agwumede, 30, was apprehended with 13kg of the same substance.
The NDLEA also said its commands nationwide sustained the War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) advocacy campaign through sensitisation programmes in schools, workplaces, worship centres and communities. The outreach covered institutions including Government Day Secondary School, Sabon Wuse in Niger State; Government Girls Secondary School, Shekara in Kano State; and Otto Primary School, Ebute Metta in Lagos State.
Commending officers and personnel of the Directorate of Operations and General Investigation (DOGI), MMIA, Apapa, Edo, Kaduna and Katsina Commands for the successful operations, NDLEA Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Brig.-Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd.), urged them to sustain the agency’s balanced approach of aggressive drug supply reduction alongside preventive drug demand reduction efforts across the country.
By TimesNG