News
NDLEA Cracks Down on Drug Trafficking: Intercepts N16.6B Opioids at Seaports, 2,760kg Illicit Drugs in Lagos
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) says its operatives have intercepted some hard drugs concealed in soles of shoes and hair attachments heading to the United States and some parts of Europe.
Announcing this in a statement on Sunday, NDLEA spokesman, Femi Babafemi, said the consignments were seized by the anti-narcotics agency at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, MMIA, Ikeja Lagos.
“A total of 2,118 pills of tramadol concealed in soles of 13 pairs of shoes going to Cyprus were seized at the export shed of the Lagos airport on 12th October 2024 and additional 380 tablets recovered from the home of the sender, Okenwa Kelvin Uchenna during a follow up operation in Enugu on Thursday 24th October. A cash of N968,880 and a Toyota Avalon car marked UWN 389 AS, were also recovered from the suspect at the time of his arrest,” he said.
“Not less than 293 ampoules of promethazine and pentazocine injection as well as 1.690kg cannabis and tramadol tablets concealed in hair attachments and soles of shoes going to the United States, United Kingdom and Oman were intercepted at three courier firms by NDLEA officers of the Directorate of Operations and General Investigation, DOGI, in Lagos on Thursday 24th October.
“In the same vein, a total of Twenty Six Million Two Hundred and Fifty Thousand (26,250,000) pills of tramadol as well as Five Hundred and Eight Thousand Four Hundred (508,400) bottles of codeine based syrup worth Sixteen Billion Six Hundred and Eighty Three Million Eight Hundred Thousand Naira (N16, 683, 800,000) in street value were intercepted by NDLEA operatives during 100 percent joint examination of watch-listed containers with men of Customs Service and other security agencies at the Tincan port in Lagos and Port Harcourt port, Onne, Rivers state between Tuesday 22nd and Wednesday 23rd October.”
See the full statement below:
NDLEA intercepts US, Europe-bound drugs in shoe soles, N16.6b opioids at seaports
. Recovers 2,760kg illicit consignments in Lagos shrine, underground storage in Lekki
Consignments of opioids concealed in soles of shoes and hair attachments heading to the United States, United Kingdom and Cyprus have been intercepted by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, MMIA, Ikeja Lagos and three courier companies in the state.
A total of 2,118 pills of tramadol concealed in soles of 13 pairs of shoes going to Cyprus were seized at the export shed of the Lagos airport on 12th October 2024 and additional 380 tablets recovered from the home of the sender, Okenwa Kelvin Uchenna during a follow up operation in Enugu on Thursday 24th October. A cash of N968,880 and a Toyota Avalon car marked UWN 389 AS, were also recovered from the suspect at the time of his arrest.
Not less than 293 ampoules of promethazine and pentazocine injection as well as 1.690kg cannabis and tramadol tablets concealed in hair attachments and soles of shoes going to the United States, United Kingdom and Oman were intercepted at three courier firms by NDLEA officers of the Directorate of Operations and General Investigation, DOGI, in Lagos on Thursday 24th October.
In the same vein, a total of Twenty Six Million Two Hundred and Fifty Thousand (26,250,000) pills of tramadol as well as Five Hundred and Eight Thousand Four Hundred (508,400) bottles of codeine-based syrup worth Sixteen Billion Six Hundred and Eighty Three Million Eight Hundred Thousand Naira (N16, 683, 800,000) in street value were intercepted by NDLEA operatives during 100 percent joint examination of watch-listed containers with men of Customs Service and other security agencies at the Tincan port in Lagos and Port Harcourt port, Onne, Rivers state between Tuesday 22nd and Wednesday 23rd October.
Other illicit consignments intercepted during the joint inspection of the containers include 10 million tablets of Toradol Benzhexol and 28 plastic drums of methamphetamine weighing 700kg at Tincan and Onne respectively, while 56 parcels of Loud, a synthetic strain of cannabis weighing 28kg were also recovered from a container that arrived the Lagos port from Canada. A suspect, Tsolaye Eburajolo, 40, was arrested at Ago Palace area of Okota Lagos in connection with the cannabis seizure while a bribe of N10million paid NDLEA officers to free the suspect has been kept as part of the exhibits for the prosecution of the case.
Meanwhile, NDLEA operatives in Lagos on Friday 25th October raided the Igbo – Igunuko shrine, located at the Alfa Beach, Ajah, where jumbo bags of Ghanaian Loud, a strain of cannabis, weighing 2,760kg were recovered and two suspects: Gbenga Abiodun and Sunday Abiodun arrested. Another suspect, Ademola Oyelakin was also arrested same day with 770kg of the same psychoactive substance along Lagos-Ibadan expressway.
A total of 11,786 pills of tramadol, molly, rohypnol and diazepam as well as 64 bottles of codeine syrup were recovered from the underground storage a suspect, Muhammad Warnos Abdullahi dug in his bedroom at Marwa Coastal road, Lekki Phase 1 Lagos when NDLEA officers raided his home on Friday 25th October. The suspect dug the illicit drug storage deep in his room, covered it with padlocked iron slate, a rug and then put his mattress on top to avoid detection.
In Plateau, a suspect Fadan Bindom, 39, was arrested at Pilgani village in possession of 65.85kg cannabis and 18 grams of tramadol, while another suspect Sunday Agbata, 42, was nabbed at Pavwei – Rayfield Jos South LGA with 5,830 tablets and ampoules of bromazepam, diazepam and pentazocine injection on Wednesday 23rd October.
A major distributor of illicit drugs in FCT Abuja, Umar Muhammed, 40, was on Monday 21st October nabbed following the earlier seizure of a consignment of 198.5kg cannabis linked to him at Wuse market park.
In Edo state, NDLEA operatives recovered 640kg cannabis concealed in 80 jumbo bags of fresh vegetables at Ewu junction, Irrua, Esan Central LGA and arrested a suspect, Austin Oruamen, 27, while another suspect Adereti Kazeem, 35, was nabbed with 200 blocks of cannabis weighing 133kg at Obalayan, Ile-Ife, Osun state on Thursday 24th October.
With the same vigour, Commands and formations of the Agency across the country continued their War Against Drug Abuse, WADA, sensitization activities to schools, worship centres, work places and communities among others in the past week. These include: WADA sensitisation lecture to students and staff of Government Girls Secondary School, Tambuwal, Sokoto; St. Mary College, Awka, Anambra state; Prime Rose Model Private College, Saki, Oyo state; Community Model Arabic College, Malumfashi, Katsina state; Community Junior Secondary School, Rumuomasi, Rivers state; and WADA advocacy lecture to Rugar Alhaji Manu Unguwan Sullubawa, Gombi, Adamawa state, among others.
While commending the officers and men of MMIA, Tincan, PHPC, Lagos, FCT, Osun, Plateau and Edo Commands of the Agency as well as those of DOGI for the arrests and seizures, Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd) stated that their operational successes and those of their compatriots across the country especially their balanced approach to drug supply reduction and drug demand reduction efforts are well appreciated.
Femi Babafemi
Director, Media & Advocacy
NDLEA Headquarters, Abuja
Sunday 27th October 2024
Police operatives in Ogun have recovered 11 assorted iPhones,, laptop computer and other items from two members of a robbery gang arrested shortly after their operation at a student hostel in the Eruku/Agbon area of Ewekoro of the state.
The gang of robbers also forced one of the victims to transfer N200,000 to an account during the robbery operation. Ogun Police command’s spokesperson, DSP Oluseyi Babaseyi, said in a statement on Wednesday in Abeokuta.
The Ogun Police Command spokesperson said the suspects were arrested following a distress call from an anonymous caller at about 2:40 a.m. on Sept. 13.
According to him, the caller alerted the police to an armed gang robbing students at a hostel in the area.
According to him, operatives of the Ewekoro Division, led by the Divisional Police Officer, promptly responded to the distress call.
”On sighting the police operatives, the suspects abandoned their loot in a school bag and attempted to flee.
”However, the team pursued and successfully apprehended two suspects,” he said.
Babaseyi said a search of the abandoned school bag led to the recovery of 11 assorted iPhones, an HP laptop and various items of clothing.
He added that some victims had identified the recovered property as belonging to them.
“Preliminary investigation revealed that the gang allegedly forced one of the victims to transfer N200,000 to an account during the robbery,” he said
He also said that detectives had visited the crime scene, documented the forced entry and secured the recovered exhibits.
He further said that the suspects and the recovered property had been transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID), Eleweran, Abeokuta, for discreet investigation and prosecution.
According to him, efforts are ongoing to arrest other fleeing members of the gang and locate the owner of the beneficiary account.
He quoted the state Commissioner of Police, Bode Ojajuni, as commending the Ewekoro operatives for their vigilance and prompt response.
Ojajuni reaffirmed the command’s commitment to protecting students and residents across the state from criminal elements.
He urged operators of off-campus student hostels and landlords to maintain emergency contact numbers and promptly report security threats or suspicious activities.
“Residents are advised to use the Gateway Shield toll-free line, 0800 000 9111, or 09164859299 and 09154293464 to report emergencies,” he said.
Two officers have been killed after suspected armed herders ambushed the convoy of the divisional police officer (DPO) in Ayilamo, Logo LGA of Benue state.
Aondongu, spokesperson for the Benue state police command, confirmed the incident on Wednesday, report said.
The DPO, who reportedly travelled to Makurdi on official duty, was returning to Ayilamo on Monday when armed assailants ambushed his entourage.
The victims were said to have been among the newly deployed mobile police officers in the area.
Last Thursday, four police officers and seven civilians were killed when bandits attacked the community.
Aondongu said “suspected armed bandits in large numbers” invaded and attacked the community before killing the victims.
The police spokesperson said police operatives comprising the PMF unit, tactical team and conventional police officers deployed to the area responded and engaged the attackers in a firefight that lasted seven hours.
“The operatives stood firm in defence of the community and successfully repelled the attack, forcing the criminal elements to retreat into the surrounding forest with heavy casualties in the early hours of 11th September 2026,” Aondongu said.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has reaffirmed its commitment to conducting a transparent, credible, inclusive and peaceful 2027 general election, assuring Nigerians that the outcome of the polls will reflect the sovereign will of the electorate.
The assurance was given by the Acting Chairman of INEC, Prof. Rhoda Gumus, on Tuesday while receiving the African Union (AU) Pre-Election Needs Assessment Mission on behalf of the Commission at its headquarters in Abuja.
The AU delegation, led by former Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, Demeke Mekonnen, is in Nigeria to assess the country’s overall electoral preparedness and identify areas requiring further support and intervention.
Welcoming the delegation, Gumus described the mission as an important opportunity for peer assessment, institutional learning and strengthening of Nigeria’s electoral processes at a critical period in the country’s democratic journey.
She said INEC valued its partnership with the AU in advancing democratic standards and credible electoral governance across the continent.
According to her, the mission should not be viewed as a formality but as an important mechanism for strengthening institutional resilience and reinforcing public confidence in the electoral process.
Gumus highlighted the scale of preparations already underway for the 2027 general election, saying INEC was undertaking extensive operational, technological and logistical preparations to ensure effective participation by all eligible Nigerians.
She added that lessons from recent off-cycle elections in Anambra, the Federal Capital Territory, Ekiti and Osun states continued to provide valuable learning opportunities for the Commission.
The Acting Chairman also outlined areas where technical and institutional support from the AU would be valuable.
They include digital training for ad hoc election personnel, countering election-related disinformation and deepfakes, strengthening the Election Monitoring and Support Centre, as well as deepening inclusivity and gender-mainstreaming frameworks.
She emphasised that electoral integrity remained a collective responsibility involving electoral institutions, political parties, civil society organisations, security agencies, the media, development partners and the electorate.
Gumus also reaffirmed the independence and neutrality of the Commission, saying it remained committed to conducting the 2027 election professionally.
She assured that under the current Commission led by Prof. Joash Amupitan, SAN, every administrative decision would strictly follow the law, while technical deployments would be designed to promote transparency.
She said the final outcome of the 2027 general election would reflect the sovereign will of the Nigerian electorate.
Speaking on the purpose of the visit, Mekonnen said the AU mission was designed as a supportive and consultative engagement aimed at assessing activities already underway, identifying gaps and risks, and exploring possible areas of technical assistance.
He said the mission would engage INEC and other key stakeholders to assess preparedness in voter registration and register integrity, electoral technology, logistics, funding, inclusion, transparency, dispute resolution, security coordination and results management.
Mekonnen underscored the continued partnership between Nigeria and the African Union in promoting democratic governance and credible elections across the continent.
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