Rita Odafe
Seizure of Hidden Drugs by NDLEA
Officials from the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) recently discovered shipments of cocaine and pharmaceutical opioids disguised within sanitary pads and hair treatment creams. These illegal consignments were intended for delivery to the UK, Ireland, and Cyprus and were intercepted at three courier services in Lagos.
According to Femi Babafemi, the agency’s representative, on September 3, 2024, NDLEA officials found 30 parcels containing 1.1 kilograms of cocaine hidden in hair cream bottles at one courier company bound for Ireland.
“Later, on September 6, additional shipments of 24 parcels, containing 862 grams of cocaine concealed in hair cream containers for the UK, were also seized at the same location,” he noted.
“On September 3, we also confiscated 525 pills of tramadol (225mg), along with ecstasy (MDMA) hidden in ladies’ sanitary pads destined for Cyprus at another courier firm. Additionally, 200 ampoules of promethazine and pentazocine injections, disguised within food items for London, were seized on September 4,” Babafemi explained.
He further highlighted the interception of tramadol (225mg) concealed in granulated melon, which had arrived from Cameroon bound for South Africa on September 6.
At Port Harcourt International Airport, over 550,000 tramadol pills were seized during a joint operation with the Nigerian Customs Service on September 2, with one individual taken into custody in connection with the find.
In Ekiti state, on September 3, NDLEA, with support from the Nigerian Army, dismantled three camps in Ise-Ekiti forest reserve, leading to the destruction of more than 100,000 kilograms of cannabis crops across 51 hectares.
Babafemi detailed, “The affected areas include Aba Saalaja (23 hectares), Aba Paanu (12 hectares), and Aba Arogunmatidi (16 hectares) within the forest reserve.”
Moreover, eight suspects were arrested in Kaduna State on September 6 for various drug offenses.
Babafemi reported, “Two individuals, Bala Musa (42) and Danladi Muhammad (44), were arrested along Toro-Jos road with 305kg of cannabis concealed in a false compartment of a bus. Another suspect, Aminu Ayuba (24), was apprehended with 18kg of cannabis in Makarfi town on the same day.”
“Additionally, Umar Usman (40) and Zubairu Kabiru (45) were caught along the Zaria-Kaduna highway with 1,300 tramadol tablets,” he added.
Arrests were also made in Jigawa and Kogi States; “In Jigawa, Uzairu Ya’u (30) was detained with 32.6kg of cannabis on September 5. In Kogi, operatives intercepted 77,300 pills of tramadol, diazepam, and exol-5, along with 1,230 bottles of codeine from a bus driven by Attai Okolo (68) on September 4,” Babafemi stated. “Mohammed Idris (56) was caught with 42.4kg of cannabis on the Okene-Lokoja-Abuja expressway on September 3.”
“In Borno state, Idris Muhammad (40) was arrested on September 5 with 13,100 tramadol pills, and Hakilu Usman (35) was detained in Kano with 25.8kg of cannabis and 3,000 diazepam pills on September 4,” he continued.
“Lastly, 87,790 tramadol pills were seized from Musa Adamu (30) in Taraba, and in Osun state, a raid on drug kingpin Mayowa Abayomi Awe led to the seizure of various illicit substances including crack cocaine and a firearm on September 4,” the statement concluded.
