Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have intensified their crackdown on drug trafficking, intercepting multiple illicit consignments and making several arrests across the country.
One of the suspects, Egwu Phillip Inya, a 42-year-old building engineer, was arrested on Monday, December 2, 2024, at Okeyson Motor Park in Enugu. Egwu was apprehended while attempting to take delivery of three pressure machines imported from South Africa. The machines were used to conceal 7.4 kilograms of Loud, a synthetic strain of cannabis.
The consignment had arrived at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) in Lagos on November 29, 2024. Acting on credible intelligence, NDLEA operatives tracked the shipment through clearing processes up to a logistics company's warehouse. However, the importer changed the pickup location to Enugu at the last minute, prompting a follow-up operation that led to Egwu’s arrest.
In Adamawa State, operatives intercepted 511,000 pills of tramadol from a Siena vehicle along the Hildi-Askira Uba road on Friday, December 6. The vehicle’s occupants abandoned the consignment after attempting to evade NDLEA operatives on patrol.
Meanwhile, in Ekiti State, two suspects, Olanrewaju Alale (48) and Babatunde Kayode Ijadahun (55), were arrested along the Ise-Emure road. The duo was transporting 1,323 kilograms of cannabis in a J5 bus headed to Owo, Ondo State, from where the drugs were reportedly destined for northern Nigeria. In Oyo State, another suspect, Adekunle Yusuf (33), was caught 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, at 62 Odunfa Street, Lagos Island. She was found in possession of 20.6 liters of codeine-based syrup. Another suspect, Alhaji Lawan Manga, was apprehended at Ogundana Street, Ikeja, on December 5, with 4.7 kilograms of cannabis and 1.3 kilograms of tramadol.
Additionally, the NDLEA continues its War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) campaign, conducting sensitization programs in schools, workplaces, and communities nationwide. Some of the recent lectures were held at Progressive Secondary School in Oyo, Muslim Grammar School in Osun, Government Girls College in Borno, Community Secondary School in Rivers, Santa Maria Secondary School in Enugu, and Chiranci Upper Basic Junior Secondary School in Kano. Lagos Command also organized a WADA lecture for members of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) in Orile Agege.
Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of the NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), commended the efforts of the agency’s operatives across the MMIA, Adamawa, Ekiti, Lagos, and Oyo Commands. He lauded their balanced approach to drug supply reduction and demand reduction, noting that their relentless work is critical in the ongoing fight against drug abuse and trafficking.
Report compiled by Femi Babafemi, Director of Media & Advocacy, NDLEA Headquarters, Abuja.
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