Over 22,160 kilogrammes of Codeine syrup, Methamphetamine and Skunk have been seized at Apapa seaport and a notorious drug den at Akala in Mushin, Lagos State, in two major operations in the state by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).
This was just as a total of 14,080kg codeine syrup (8,080 litres) and 4,352.43kg cold caps used to conceal the former in a 40ft container imported from India, were intercepted on Wednesday February2, 2022 at the Apapa port.
Also, Cannabis, Loud, and Skunk imported from Ghana and Methamphetamine weighing 3,727.72kg were seized in an early morning raid at Akala axis of Mushin where 17 suspects including five females were arrested on Thursday, February 3.
Disclosing these in a statement on Sunday, February 6, 2022, the Agency’s Director, Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi said that the seizure at the Lagos seaport followed intelligence from foreign partners and cooperation of other port stakeholders.
With support from the military, Babafemi said that NDLEA’s Strike Force operatives stormed fortified warehouses in the drug den at Akala and evacuated bags and bottles of cannabis, loud, skunk, skuchies and methamphetamine.
Meanwhile, a female drug kingpin, allegedly one of the owners of 12,385 pellets of Loud imported from Ghana and intercepted at Eko Atlantic beach, Victoria Island Lagos on Saturday, November 27, 2021, Mrs. Jemilat Seriki, was arrested by narcotic officers after weeks of manhunt.
Mrs. Seriki, a.k.a Iya Ilorin, had admitted being one the owners of the consignments seized, adding that her bags of drugs had ‘Jah Bless’ written on them.
Babafemi stated that when identified and sorted, it was discovered that she had 16 bags with the inscription containing drugs weighing 668.85kg.
In Niger state, a 64-year-old former Divisional Police Officer of Idanre Police station, Ondo State, who was dismissed from service for drug offences, Mr. Monday George Chika, was arrested with an accomplice, Emmanuel Eniola, 40, with 280 blocks of compressed cannabis weighing 168kg.
“They were arrested on Sunday 30th Jan. in Mokwa, Niger State, after their Toyota Avalon car, marked EKY 429 BZ (Lagos) and loaded with the substance in Idanre, was heading towards Kanji, Borgu area of the state when it was intercepted.
At the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Ikeja, Lagos, attempts by some traffickers to export different quantities of Methamphetamine to Brazil and United Kingdom were scuttled by narcotic officers at the airport.
According to the Media and Advocacy Director , the first bid was made on Friday, January 28 through the SAHCO export shed where operatives intercepted 0.80kg of the drug concealed in relaxer plastic container heading to the UK.
A suspect, Akuta Chioma Lucy, who presented the consignment for search had been arrested for further investigation.
The second attempt was on Friday, February 4, during the outward clearance of passengers at Gate ‘C’ Departure hall of the airport when an intending male passenger on Ethiopian Airlines going to Brazil, Onyeaghala Chidi was intercepted with 500 grammes of Meth concealed inside three plastic hair relaxer containers.
Also at the airport, a male passenger, Iliyasu Yushau Yushau, coming from Kampala, Uganda via Nairobi, Kenya, was intercepted by operatives with 268 debit cards belonging to Access Bank, GTBank and Zenith Bank, during the inward clearance of passengers on the flight on Sunday, January 30.
In Edo State, operatives stormed the Igbogiri forest, Orhionmwon Local Government Area on February 4 and destroyed four dry season Cannabis farms measuring 3.067718 hectares.
This followed the evacuation of 20 bags of compressed blocks of Cannabis weighing 269.5kg stored in a bush at Uzebba, Owan West LGA, the previous day and the arrest of Afadama James, 42, with 348kg cannabis at Owan, Ovia North East LGA on February 2.
While operatives in Delta State arrested a 21-year-old student of Federal Polytechnic, Auchi, Kate Osagie over 17.6 grammes designer drug she ordered from Onitsha, Anambra State, those in Borno State nabbed one Fatima Musa, 30, for attempting to smuggle pentazocine injections into the camp of surrendered insurgents.
In Plateau State, operatives intercepted a truck marked LSD 857 XB coming from Ekpoma, Edo State with 885 blocks of cannabis sativa that weighed 736kg. A N400,000 paid to bribe the arresting officers had also been made part of exhibits for prosecution.
Also, two suspects, Ebunoluwa Babalola, 40, and Sulyman Sheu, 30, were arrested at Ganmo, Ilorin, Kwara State with 90kg of Cannabis.
In the same vein, two kilogrammes of Methamphetamine being brought to Abuja by 29-year-old Charity Omuche from Anambra State was intercepted on February 4 by operatives at Gwagwalada area of the FCT, while officers of the Kaduna Command of the Agency also arrested a suspect, Buhari Isah Umar, with 300 shisha pens and 999 portions of synthetic cannabinoids with gross weight of 9.690kg.
Chairman/Chief Executive of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Retd) has commended officers and men of all the Commands of the Agency for the successful operations that led to the seizure of thousands of kilogrammes of illicit drugs from across the country in the past week.
He charged them and their compatriots in other commands not to rest on their oars.
