NDLEA intercepts N6.5bn opioids in Lagos, Rivers

By Ibironke Ariyo

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), yesterday said it has intercepted no fewer than six million pills of opioids and 332,000 bottles of codeine-based cough syrup in Lagos and Rivers states respectively.

The intercepted items have a combined street value of N6.5 billion.

A statement by the NDLEA spokesman, Femi Babafemi yesterday in Abuja named the opioids as tamol 225mg, tapentadol 225mg and carisoprodol 225mg.

Babafemi said the drugs were intercepted by the NDLEA operatives at the Port Harcourt Ports Complex, Onne, Rivers State and the Apapa Seaport, Lagos.

He said the seizures at the Apapa and Onne ports followed intelligence and tracking of new trafficking routes to ship illicit substances into Nigeria.

This, he said, were by drug cartels, which necessitated the watch-listing of the containers for 100 percent examination.

“The consignments at the Port Harcourt ports: six million pills of opioids and 162,000 bottles of codeine syrup were uncovered in two containers on Monday, May 19, and Tuesday, May 20.

“This feat was achieved during a joint examination of the shipments by the NDLEA officers with men of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) and other security agencies.

“At the Apapa port in Lagos, a total of 170,000 bottles of codeine syrup were discovered in a watch-listed container by NDLEA operatives.

“This also happened during a similar joint examination exercise on Thursday, May 22,” he said.

In Niger State, the NDLEA operatives on patrol along Mokwa-Jebba road on May 22, intercepted a Mercedes Benz car marked FST 938 FU loaded with 235 blocks of cannabis sativa weighing 97 kg and the arrest of a suspect, Adams Ayibakro.

“This is even as operatives in Lagos raided the Osapa London area of Lekki where they arrested a suspect, Jonathan Isa with different quantities of illicit drugs,” he said.

Babafemi named the items seized as Cocaine, Methamphetamine, Molly, Rohypnol, Codeine, Cannabis and Nitrous Oxide among others.

“Another raid at Idasun, Eleko, Ibeju Lekki on May 24, led to the arrest of Olamilekan Idowu and seizure of 48kg skunk.

“The War Against Drug Abuse, (WADA), social advocacy activities by NDLEA Commands equally continued across the country in the past week.

“Some of them include: WADA sensitisation lecture delivered to students and staff of Adamu Babbale Government Secondary School, Dimirkol, Katsina; Mary Hanney Secondary School, Oron, Akwa Ibom; Nnodo Secondary School, Abakaliki, Ebonyi State.

“Others are Government Secondary School, Guyuk, Adamawa; and Government Girls Islamic Secondary School, Gwagwarwa, Kano while Lagos State command of NDLEA paid WADA advocacy visit to the Sarkin Fulani of Lagos, Alhaji Muhammadu Bambado, among others,” he said.

In another development, the NDLEA said it arrested two British nationals, Mhizha Alexander and Ayedipe Andrew,  for attempting to smuggle illicit drugs through the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, (MMIA), Ikeja Lagos.

According to Babafemi, two Nigerians, Shonowo Imole and Ofuoma Omokaro, were also arrested in connection with drug smuggling into Nigeria.

He said 92 bags of Loud, a strong strain of cannabis weighing 51.10kg were recovered from them by the NDLEA operatives at the airport.

He added that one for the suspects, Alexander, was intercepted with the consignment upon his arrival at the MMIA on a Qatar Airline flight from Doha based on processed intelligence on May 15.

He said Alexander was allowed to pass through the security control unhindered and closely monitored by the NDLEA operatives to the car park.

“The owner of the cargo, Ayedipe Andrew, who is a Nigerian British, was waiting in an SUV along with his relation Shonowo Imole and the driver of the vehicle, Ofuoma Omokaro Ayobami, to receive the courier.

“The NDLEA operatives tracking them, however, swooped on them as they attempted to drive out of the airport car park, arresting them with the drug exhibits in the vehicle.
“In his statement, Alexander confessed that he was recruited during his vacation weeks ago while he was promised 1,300 British Pounds after a successful delivery of the consignment in Lagos.

“The arrowhead of the syndicate, Ayedipe Adejuwon, confessed that he arrived in Nigeria a day earlier from South Africa through Ghana,” he said.

Babafemi, however, said a follow-up operation at their apartment in Lekki led to more discoveries.

According to him, at the point of his arrest, N93,000 and 17,200 South African Rand were recovered from him.

“A search of his Lekki apartment led to the seizure of N3.8 million cash, an Apple laptop, an iPhone 14 Pro Max and four laughing gas (Nitro Oxide) canisters,” he noted.