The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency has intercepted a consignment of cannabis allegedly concealed in a gallon of palm oil at the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport in Kano State, as part of a series of operations that led to multiple arrests and the seizure of large quantities of illicit drugs across the country.
The consignment was reportedly destined for Saudi Arabia. The agency said its operatives also recovered cannabis and opioids in Lagos, Edo, Ondo, Bauchi, Kano and Kaduna states, as well as the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.
According to the NDLEA, a female passenger, Fatimah Ahmad, was arrested on Friday, October 16, during the clearance of an Ethiopian Airlines flight scheduled to travel to Jeddah through Addis Ababa.
The agency said the consignment had been declared as maize starch. However, laboratory tests confirmed that the substance was tramadol hydrochloride powder.
When the substance was separated from its concealment on October 14, it was found in 349 bags weighing a combined 8,725 kilogrammes. The NDLEA estimated its street value at more than N6.98bn.
At the Tin Can Island Port in Lagos, operatives on October 12 discovered 55 kilogrammes of Canadian Loud, a potent strain of cannabis valued at N165m.
The drugs were packed in brown cartons and hidden inside a Toyota Sienna vehicle shipped in a 40-foot container.
In a separate operation at Idumota Market, Lagos, on October 14, officers arrested Elizabeth Chidera Kalu and recovered 10,600 ampoules of diazepam injection and 6,500 tablets of Molly from her store.
The following day, two 35-year-old men, Idowu Daudu and Ahmed Oniyinde, were arrested in Mushin. The agency said Daudu was found with 59.95 kilogrammes of cannabis, while Oniyinde had 61.23 kilogrammes.
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Another operation in Lagos targeted a truck intercepted along Iyana Oba on October 15 following intelligence about a consignment originating from Trade Fair Market. Two suspects, identified as Tajudeen Adeduntan, the loading manager, and his assistant, Azeez Sikiru, were arrested.
A search of the truck led to the recovery of 18,000 tablets of tramadol 250mg concealed in cartons labelled as Rambo insecticide.
In Edo State, NDLEA operatives conducted raids in Warake, Ivhiaro and Ewe/Irue communities in Owan East Local Government Area between October 15 and 16. Six suspects were arrested, with various quantities of cannabis and other substances recovered.
Among them was 85-year-old Grace Ehimeka, who was allegedly found with 179 kilogrammes of cannabis in Warake. Ayo Aigberadion, 53, was arrested in Ewe/Irue with 220.8 kilogrammes.
The other suspects were Ali Garba, 57, who had 5.852 kilogrammes; Habib Braimoh, 45, with 100 grammes; Musa Mubid, 35, with two kilogrammes of cannabis, cannabis seeds, tramadol, Swinol and diazepam; and Hope Okoro, 35, who was found with 237 grammes of Canadian Loud.
In Ondo State, officers raided a cannabis farm in the Okemoro Isinbode camp forest on October 17, destroying 7,500 kilogrammes of cannabis cultivated on three hectares of land.
Five suspects — Asikpo Ekpeyoung, 43; Solomon Okpani, 22; Ubong Friday, 35; Joseph Friday, 22; and Ekenimi Seth, 35 — were arrested during the operation.
The agency said officers also recovered 92 bags of cannabis weighing 1,267 kilogrammes, 11 kilogrammes of cannabis seeds and three kilogrammes of fresh stems. The total weight of the recovered exhibits was put at 1,281 kilogrammes.
In another operation in the Owo area of Ondo State on October 16, operatives tracked 53-year-old Okunebe Ndidi to a hideout in Ameyinti, where they recovered 25 bags of cannabis weighing 375 kilogrammes.
In Bauchi State, a Volkswagen Golf wagon driven by 35-year-old Shamsu Garba was intercepted at Ragwam village in Katagum Local Government Area on October 14. A search of the vehicle reportedly uncovered 894,800 pills of tramadol capsules and Exol-5 tablets.
On the same day, officers patrolling the Bauchi-Gombe Road recovered 291 blocks of cannabis weighing 265 kilogrammes from an abandoned vehicle at Tudun Natsira village.
In Kano State, Ali Abdullahi, 38, and Ibrahim Adamu, 23, were arrested along the Zaria-Kano Road on October 13 with 30,100 tablets of tramadol 225mg.
A day later, operatives arrested 54-year-old Murtala Dayyabu on Niger Street, Malan Kato, with 100,000 tablets of Exol-5.
In Kaduna State, a raid on Kayimi village resulted in the arrest of Mohammed Sani, 48; Zaharadeen Shafiu, 29; and Yakubu Abdullahi, 20. The suspects were allegedly found with 496.5 kilogrammes of cannabis.
At Food Palace on Ali Akilu Road, Kaduna, officers also arrested 39-year-old John Ayo David with 49,500 tablets of tramadol 225mg.
In Abuja, a 42-year-old suspect, Odo Jonas Ejike, was arrested in the Utako area on October 17 with 29,500 tramadol capsules.
NDLEA Continues Anti-Drug Awareness Campaign
Alongside its enforcement operations, the agency said it continued public awareness programmes under its War Against Drug Abuse initiative.
The sensitisation exercises were held in schools, religious centres, workplaces and communities across the country. Schools visited included Nawar-Ur-Deen High School in Ogboro, Oyo State; Elf Junior Secondary School in Bojude, Gombe State; Cherubim and Seraphim Primary School in Ikorodu, Lagos State; Harmony Secondary School in Lokoja, Kogi State; and Government Secondary School in Ikot Ansa, Calabar, Cross River State.
Other venues included Rivers State College of Health Science and Management Technology in Port Harcourt, Mesh International School in Benin City, Edo State, and Abu Hanifa Academy in Kano Municipal, Kano State.
The NDLEA Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd.), commended personnel from the Apapa, Tin Can, Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport, Lagos, Edo, Bauchi, Ondo, Kano and FCT commands for their work.
Marwa urged officers nationwide to maintain pressure on drug trafficking networks while continuing the agency’s balanced approach to drug control.