Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, have intercepted more than 1.3 million pills and capsules of tramadol and other opioids, as well as 6,000kg of cannabis, in a series of operations across eight states and the Federal Capital Territory.
The agency said the seizures had a combined street value of more than N3.4 billion.
The operations were conducted in Lagos, Edo, Niger, Delta, Ondo, Gombe and Imo states, as well as the FCT.
The NDLEA Chairman, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd.), commended officers of the various commands for what he described as professionalism and intelligence-driven operations, urging them to sustain the agency’s balanced approach to drug control.
A major highlight of the operations was the interception of 1,200 parcels of Canadian Loud, a potent strain of cannabis, weighing 603.75kg and valued at N1.811 billion.
The operation also led to the arrest of a 49-year-old suspected drug trafficker, Innocent Ekpe, who allegedly impersonated a senior police officer to evade scrutiny at checkpoints while transporting illicit drugs across state lines.
Ekpe was arrested on Wednesday, September 16, along the Benin-Onitsha Expressway in Asaba, Delta State, with 292.48kg of skunk concealed in his silver Toyota Sienna bus.
According to the agency, preliminary investigation revealed that Ekpe allegedly presented himself as Godwin Emeka, a Deputy Superintendent of Police, using a forged police identification card.
A 39-year-old alleged accomplice, Nduka Joseph, was also arrested.
In Edo State, NDLEA operatives acting on intelligence raided a location along Agbor Road, Benin City, where they arrested 45-year-old Matthew Ossai.
The agency said Ossai allegedly used his auto-repair workshop to store illicit drugs.
Operatives recovered 48kg of Canadian Loud, 152 grammes of methamphetamine and a metal box allegedly used to store the substances.
At the Tin-Can Island Port in Lagos, NDLEA operatives placed a 40-foot container shipped from Montreal, Canada, under surveillance after it arrived on September 12.
A joint physical examination conducted with the The Nigeria Customs Service, along with other security agencies, made a significant discovery on Wednesday, September 16, uncovering 1,200 parcels of Canadian Loud that weighed a total of 603.75 kg. The consignment was hidden inside 31 black jumbo bags, which were loaded into two Toyota Sienna vehicles within a shipping container.
In Niger State, three suspects-Bashir Usman (20), Abubakar Nuhu (18), and Abdulrahman Abdulwahab (18)-were arrested on Tuesday, September 15, during a patrol along the Abuja-Kaduna Expressway in the Chachi area of Tafa Local Government. The suspects were allegedly found in possession of two locally fabricated AK-47 rifles, a magazine, a locally made pistol with a magazine, and nine rounds of 9mm ammunition concealed in a black travel bag.
Additionally, two more suspects, Aminu Isyaku (23) and Jamilu Habibu (25), were arrested on Friday, September 18, along the Abaji-Abuja Highway. The agency reported the seizure of over 1.1 million assorted tramadol tablets and capsules, along with codeine syrup, methamphetamine, and Exol tablets. These substances were reportedly concealed in eight sacks and were being transported from Onitsha, Anambra State, to Mararaba, Nasarawa State.
In Lagos, NDLEA operatives arrested Onyeka Ofor at his residence in Aguda, Surulere, on Friday, September 18, with 48,900 pills of tramadol (225 mg). Additionally, seven cartons containing 59 kg of cannabis sativa were intercepted at a logistics company in the state, resulting in the arrest of a suspect identified as Luke Ugokwe.
In another operation in Lagos, 43-year-old Ibrahim Hudu was arrested at Apongbo on Thursday, September 17, with 998.38 kg of nitrous oxide gas.
In Gombe State, a total of 154,480 capsules of tramadol were recovered from two suspects, Sabi’u Umar (27) and Hassana Muhammad (19), who were arrested at the Barunde area and Gombe Main Market, respectively, on Friday, September 18.
In Imo State, 25-year-old Ifesinachi Godwin was arrested along the Owerri-Onitsha Road on Friday with 43.85 kg of skunk.
Similarly, four suspects-Blessing Effiong, Saviour Peter, David Friday Sunday, and Ability Peter Sunday-were apprehended during a raid on a two-hectare cannabis farm in Ita-Ogbolu Forest, Ondo State, on Tuesday, September 15. The NDLEA reported that 5,000 kg of skunk was destroyed during this operation, and 48 kg of both dried and fresh cannabis was recovered from the location.