The nation’s anti-drug body, the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), have renewed its chase of elements who seem to have signed a pact with the devil to frustrate the agency’s actualisation of its mission statement.
The NDLEA is now more proactive in its operational framework, blocking all loopholes and busting individuals and cartels whose livelihood is sustained by illicit drugs.
Director, Media and Advocacy, Mr Femi Babafemi, confirmed recent updates and exploits of the agency with a verdict that on no account would the NDLEA retreat in the ongoing war against enemies of the country.
According to Babafemi, a former editor of the Saturday Sun, consignments of drugs concealed in frozen snails, electrical bulbs and female clothes exporting to the US, UK and Democratic Republic of Congo are currently in the agency custody following their seizure at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) from a courier company in Lagos.
He said two suspects are detained, one of whom is Boladale Riliwan, a cargo agent arrested on October 7, 2025. Fifteen parcels of skunk, a strain of cannabis, concealed in 10 pieces of giant rechargeable electrical bulbs he presented in a carton for airfreight to Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) were found on him.
Also detained is Olawale Oyebola Hakeemot, 48, a UK-based Public Health Assistant, arrested on October 12 at the departure hall of terminal 2 of the MMIA following the discovery of frozen snails used to conceal 2,300 pills of tramadol 225mg in her luggage while heading to Manchester on a Qatar Airways flight.
Attempt by another syndicate to export 810 pills of bromazepam hidden in female clothes going to the US was also thwarted by the NDLEA officers at a courier company in Lagos on October 16.
Away from Lagos, in Adamawa State, the agency’s eagle eyes also caught one Bello Buba was intercepted at a check point in Namtari, Yola South LGA with 38, 270 pills of tramadol concealed in the spare tyre, boot, and door compartments of his Honda Civic car he drove all the way from Benin Republic to smuggle the consignment into Nigeria on Sunday October 12.
Back to South-west, in Ekiti State, not less than 53,250 kilograms of skunk were destroyed on 21.3 hectares of cannabis farm in Ilawe Ekiti with 70 bags of the same psychoactive substance weighing 1,140kg recovered by the NDLEA operatives during an operation that lasted between October 12 and 13.
During the comprehensive operation, suspects arrested included: Matthew Emmanuel, 26; James Moses, 27; and Israel Samuel, 20. This followed the destruction of 17,400kg skunk on 6.96 hectares of plantation by the NDLEA operatives at Aponmu forest reserve, Akure, Ondo State on Sunday October 12.
In Oyo State, Aliyu Muhammed, 50; Babarinde Segun,32; Ogunbiyi Sanjo, 30; and Ajani Oluro,30, were nabbed with 596kg skunk at Apata-Ako, Igboora, while Jacob Afolabi, 30, and Salako Oluwatobi, 25, were arrested with 273kg of same substance at Odo-Oyan, Igangan, on October 16.
Joseph Andrew was arrested in possession of 88kg skunk on October 15 at Ona–Imeko, Ogun State. Festus Udoh, 42, was also nabbed with 13,000 pills of opioids along Onitsha- Owerri road, Imo State.
In the same vein, a total of 74.5kg skunk was recovered from the store of a suspect Joseph Chukwujamaa at Umuogbo – Agu village, Enugu state on Saturday October 18.
Again, back to Lagos, no fewer than 11 bags of skunk weighing 117kg were recovered from the base of one Ramoni Olukowi in Mushin area on October 18 while a total of 80,000 bottles of codeine-based syrup were intercepted in a container earlier watch-listed by the agency coming from India during a joint examination of the shipment with men of Customs service and other security agencies at the Apapa port on Tuesday October 14.
In like manner, 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 advocacy lecture to students and staff of Commercial Grammar School, Igogo Ekiti; Junior Secondary Smart School, Kasarawa, Katsina; Government Technical College, Ahoada, Rivers; Government Girls Junior Secondary School, Yau Danzabuwa, Babura, Jigawa state; Attarbiyya Community College, Hotoro, Kano; Fuga Mixed Secondary School, Fuga, Edo state; St. Cyprian Special Science School, Nsukka, Enugu and St. Peter’s College, Olomore, Abeokuta, Ogun state, among others.
Commending the officers and men of the MMIA, Apapa, Lagos, Ekiti, Adamawa, Oyo, Enugu, Ogun, Ondo, and Imo Commands for the arrests, and seizures, Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd) urged them and their colleagues across the country not to relent in their ongoing balanced approach to the drug control efforts of the agency.
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