By Ameh Gabriel
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has recorded major breakthroughs in its sustained war against drug trafficking, arresting Brazil returnees, a businesswoman, and several other suspects in Lagos, Zamfara, Adamawa, Edo, Yobe, and Taraba states.
At the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos, operatives intercepted two passengers who ingested narcotics before boarding flights from Brazil.
Ofoma Sunday, 46, was arrested on September 16 upon his arrival on an Ethiopian Airlines flight from São Paulo. A body scan confirmed he had ingested hard drugs. Under observation, he excreted 111 wraps of heroin weighing 1.45kg in eight excretions. A follow-up sting at a hotel in Amuwo Odofin led to the arrest of Nweke Jude Chukwudi, 55, who was designated to recover the drugs.
Similarly, Ukachukwu Frank Ikechukwu was caught on September 19 after arriving from Brazil via Addis Ababa. A scan revealed drug insertion, and he later expelled five wraps of cocaine weighing 145g. He confessed that he had inserted nine wraps but flushed two in Ethiopia after experiencing severe anal pain.
In a related operation, NDLEA operatives, in collaboration with Aviation Security officers, arrested Ebere Theresa Okolonkwo on September 14 while attempting to board a Qatar Airways flight to Doha. Two parcels of methamphetamine weighing 1.40kg were found concealed in her specially padded underwear.
Further seizures at the Lagos airport included:
- 2.3kg of methamphetamine hidden in food items heading to Hong Kong.
- 257g of cocaine concealed in seven phone chargers destined for New Zealand.
Nationwide raids also yielded large seizures:
- Adamawa State: 233,800 pills of tramadol recovered in three separate raids, including 195,600 abandoned in a vehicle in Yola South.
- Zamfara State: 1,099kg of skunk seized from a truck along Gummi-Daki Takwas road, with one suspect arrested.
- Yobe State: Two suspects nabbed with 14,000 capsules of tramadol along Damaturu–Potiskum road.
- Taraba State: 25.5kg of skunk recovered from a 28-year-old suspect in Bali LGA.
- Edo State: Two cannabis farms covering over 4.5 hectares and estimated to yield more than 11 tonnes of skunk were destroyed in Owan West LGA, with three suspects arrested.
Beyond arrests, NDLEA Commands nationwide intensified War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) sensitization campaigns in schools, mosques, churches, and workplaces, targeting communities in Sokoto, Katsina, Jigawa, Benue, and Kano.
NDLEA Chairman/Chief Executive, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Retd), praised the operatives for their vigilance and resilience.
“These arrests and seizures represent a significant milestone in our determined effort to dismantle drug trafficking organizations targeting Nigeria’s youth and tarnishing our global image. We will sustain this momentum until drug cartels can no longer inflict harm on our communities,” Marwa said.
