…..Operatives Intercept 511,000 Tramadol Pills in Adamawa, 1,323kg Cannabis in Ekiti, and Arrest Grandmother with Opioids in Lagos.
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has made significant breakthroughs in its fight against drug trafficking and abuse with a series of arrests and seizures across Nigeria.
Among the latest arrests is a 42-year-old building engineer, Egwu Phillip Inya, who was caught attempting to take delivery of illegal drug consignments concealed in pressure machines imported from South Africa.
Egwu was apprehended on Monday, December 2, 2024, at the Okeyson motor park in Enugu. The consignments, which contained parcels of Loud, a synthetic strain of cannabis weighing 7.40 kilograms, had arrived at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) in Lagos on November 29.
Following credible intelligence, NDLEA operatives monitored the shipment from the airport through the clearing process to a logistics company’s warehouse. The importer changed the pickup location to Enugu at the last minute, prompting a follow-up operation that led to Egwu’s arrest when he attempted to collect the consignment.
In a separate operation in Adamawa State, NDLEA officers on patrol intercepted 511,000 pills of tramadol from a Siena vehicle on Hildi, Askira Uba road. The occupants of the vehicle abandoned it after noticing the operatives on their trail. The discovery occurred in the early hours of Friday, December 6, 2024.
Similarly, in Ekiti State, two suspects, Olanrewaju Alale (48) and Babatunde Kayode Ijadahun (55), were arrested while transporting 1,323 kilograms of cannabis in 108 jumbo bags. The suspects were intercepted in a J5 bus along the Ise-Emure road.
They revealed that the consignment was being transported to Owo, Ondo State, for eventual distribution to the North. In another operation on the same day in Oyo State, Adekunle Yusuf (33) was arrested with 704 kilograms of cannabis concealed in white sacks at Idere road, Igboora.
In Lagos, NDLEA operatives arrested a 65-year-old grandmother, Ramata Bola Adeyemo, on December 6 at 62 Odunfa Street, Lagos Island, with 20.6 liters of codeine-based syrup. Another suspect, Alhaji Lawan Manga, was arrested on December 5 at Ogundana Street, Ikeja, with 4.7 kilograms of cannabis and 1.3 kilograms of tramadol.
The NDLEA also reported ongoing War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) sensitization lectures nationwide. These efforts included lectures at schools, religious centers, workplaces, and communities. Some notable locations include Progressive Secondary School in Oyo State, Muslim Grammar School in Osun State, and Government Girls College in Borno State. Additionally, NDLEA’s Lagos Command organized enlightenment programs for the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) at Orile Agege, Lagos.
Commending the agency’s efforts, the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), stated:
“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 appreciaThese recent successes underscore the NDLEA’s commitment to eradicating drug trafficking and abuse in Nigeria.
