The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has intercepted several illicit drug consignments and arrested multiple suspects in a series of operations spanning Lagos, Zamfara, Adamawa, Edo, Yobe, and Taraba states, marking a major breakthrough in its fight against narcotics trafficking.
At the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos, two returnees from Brazil, Ofoma Sunday and Ukachukwu Frank Ikechukwu, were arrested after body scans confirmed drug ingestion. Ofoma was found to have ingested 111 wraps of heroin weighing over 1.4 kilograms, which he later excreted while under observation. Investigations led to the arrest of his alleged handler, Nweke Jude Chukwudi, at a hotel in Amuwo Odofin. Similarly, Ikechukwu was caught with five wraps of cocaine weighing 145 grams concealed in his body after a failed attempt to reinsert additional wraps during his transit through Ethiopia.
In a separate operation, a businesswoman, Okolonkwo Ebere Theresa, was apprehended at the Lagos airport for concealing 1.4 kilograms of methamphetamine in specially designed butt pad underwear while attempting to board a Qatar Airways flight to Doha. She reportedly confessed to being recruited into the trade while running her used clothing and POS business in Enugu.
NDLEA operatives also intercepted 2.3 kilograms of methamphetamine hidden in food items bound for Hong Kong, as well as 257 grams of cocaine concealed inside phone chargers destined for New Zealand.
Beyond Lagos, large consignments of opioids and cannabis were seized across the country. In Adamawa, operatives recovered over 233,000 pills of tramadol in separate raids, with arrests made in Jimeta Yola and at checkpoints in Mayo Belwa and Namtari. In Zamfara, 1,099 kilograms of cannabis skunk were seized from a truck driver moving the drugs to Gummi Local Government Area. Additional arrests were made in Yobe, Taraba, and Edo, where operatives destroyed cannabis farms covering more than four hectares with an estimated yield exceeding 11,000 kilograms.
NDLEA Chairman, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), commended the officers for their efforts, describing the operations as a significant step in dismantling trafficking syndicates targeting Nigeria’s youth. He urged operatives nationwide to sustain the momentum, combining enforcement with ongoing War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) sensitization campaigns in schools, religious centers, workplaces, and communities.
The Agency noted that these operations not only safeguard public health but also protect Nigeria’s global image from being tarnished by transnational drug cartels.
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