By Seyi Odewale
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) Tincan Island Port Strategic Command has intercepted narcotic drugs worth N134.2bn.
The Commander of Narcotics of the strategic command, Ofoyeju Mitchell, disclosed this during the command’s 2024 media briefing and awards ceremony in Tincan Island Port, Lagos State.
He said the operational results have helped to insulate the economy from the adverse effects of criminal proceeds and promote public health and safety.
“The year 2024 presented us with many challenges, but through teamwork, strategic planning, and intelligence-led operations, we have achieved remarkable milestones by disrupting the illicit drug trade, promoting community engagement, and deepening collaboration with stakeholders,” Mitchell stated.
Thirty-eight drug suspects, including one female, were apprehended during the period under review, and a whopping seizure of three hundred and thirty-nine thousand, five hundred and seventy-six kilograms (339,576.91 kg) of illicit drugs was made.
The breakdown is as follows: codeine 305,323.37 kg; tapentadol 13,370 kg; tafradol 11,230.8 kg; benzhexol 5,888.8 kg; cannabis indica 3,601.25 kg; methamphetamine 83.301 kg; cocaine 56.39 kg; and heroin 23 kg. The estimated monetary value of the seized drugs is N134.2bn. A total of 12 convictions were won, while no fewer than 26 cases are pending at the law courts.
Drugs and crime are intertwined. It is either the cartels are using the proceeds of drugs to fund their acts of criminality, or they rely on the influence of drugs to perpetrate heinous activities. This underscores the crucial role of the NDLEA at the seaports in disrupting drug supply chains and mitigating the impact of criminal acts in our communities.
In January last year, we detected narcotic drugs, firearms, and ammunition in one container. The command will remain vigilant in protecting our country from the painful grip of kidnapping, gruesome murder, and related crimes that are aggravated by drugs.
“As frontline gatekeepers, we understand that these seizures and arrests have significantly contributed to the relative peace citizens enjoy across the length and breadth of our beloved country. It has also enhanced the maritime industry’s environment for ease of business.
“Our mandate is to encourage legitimate commerce and eliminate any criminality injurious to economic growth. This is our modest contribution to national security, and we will leave no stone unturned until Tincan Island port is completely impenetrable by the drug trafficking cartels,” Mitchell stated.
In addition to enforcement measures, the NDLEA also focused on public education through the War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) campaign. This involves community awareness programs to educate the public about the dangers of drug trafficking and abuse.
According to Mitchell, the impressive scorecard was made possible through our commitment to promoting zero tolerance for drug trafficking, local and international collaboration, intelligence sharing, and efficient deployment of our sniffer dogs, which have unprecedented capabilities to detect concealed drugs.
Special awards were presented to deserving officers for their excellence and commitment to service. Commander Mitchell shared the award categories, which ranged from Most Productive Officer-in-Charge to Best WADA Media Partner of the Year.
These awards are designed to encourage best practices, enhance operational efficiency, and foster a culture of accountability and transparency among officers. Similarly, we have rules of engagement that address actions against discipline.
The list of awards and recipients includes ACN Adefunke Akindele, who won the Most Productive Officer-in-Charge of the Year; ACN Muje Stephen, who won the Most Enterprising Officer of the Year; ACN Salihu Isa Machi, who won the WADA Facilitator of the Year; and CSN Audu Samuel, who won the Most Dedicated Officer of the Year.
SNA Mohammed Musa won Best Dressed Officer of the Year. In contrast, Mr. Davidson Iriekpen of Thisday newspaper won Best WADA Media Partner of the Year for his commitment to public enlightenment on anti-drug abuse.
The event also marked the launch of the inaugural edition of the Tincan Strategic Command quarterly newsletter.
The publication aims to inform stakeholders of the command’s operations, community engagement activities, and significant achievements while promoting greater collaboration in the fight against drug abuse.
“The dynamic drug trafficking trends have kept us on our toes. Apart from cannabis indica that is imported from Canada and the United States, pharmaceutical opioids from India, cocaine is imported from South America, and heroin comes from the farthest, like Pakistan and Iran. Within the period under review, we discovered the first shipment of methamphetamine from Canada. We will continue to monitor the trend and thwart every criminal manipulation,” he assured.
Mitchell expressed heartfelt appreciation for the enabling environment provided by Gen. Buba Marwa to tackle the challenge of drug trafficking at the seaport.
He acknowledged the hard work and dedication of NDLEA personnel and other stakeholders in the anti-narcotics campaign.
He noted that 2025 would be better than the previous year as efforts will be geared towards promoting professionalism, capacity building, stakeholder/community engagement, intelligence sharing, and exchange programmes, among other things.
