The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) recently intercepted a massive shipment of codeine syrup at the Port Harcourt Ports complex in Onne, Rivers State. They found 6,125 cartons containing 1,050,000 bottles of the opioid, with a street value of over N7,350 billion.
NDLEA officers discovered this shipment in six containers on Saturday. This is the third major seizure in four weeks, thanks to reliable intelligence and careful tracking of the cargo from its point of origin by a special operations unit of the NDLEA.
The operation was a collaboration with the Port Harcourt Ports Command and other security agencies, including the Customs Service, to ensure a thorough joint inspection of the targeted containers. After examining the containers, they recovered a total of 6,125 cartons of codeine syrup, weighing 157,500 kilograms.
Meanwhile, at Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Ikeja, Lagos, NDLEA officers arrested two passengers on a Qatar Airways flight to Doha. The passengers, Aikhomoun Daniel (alias Oladapo Olanrewaju) and Ayigoro Waheed Omobolaji tested positive for ingesting illicit substances. Daniel excreted 90 wraps of cocaine weighing 1.022 kg, while Ayigoro expelled 60 wraps of cocaine weighing 662 grams. Further investigation revealed that Daniel had stolen the identity of his late uncle to obtain a Schengen visa for easy access to Europe.
Additionally, 40.32 kg of Loud, a potent strain of cannabis, was seized from a black Toyota Tacoma truck along the Lekki-Ikoyi road. The driver abandoned the vehicle when he realized NDLEA operatives were pursuing him.
In Abuja, NDLEA officers raided a drug party titled “Go Hard or Go Home. Pick Your Poison” at Sun City Estate, arresting 60 people—25 males and 35 females. The raid followed a tip-off about the party organized by Stanley Ikechukwu, who was also arrested. Six of the suspects were caught with various quantities of ecstasy and cannabis.
Brig Gen Mohamed Marwa (retd), the Chairman and Chief Executive of NDLEA, ordered the unconditional release of 20 suspects who tested negative for drugs. Thirty-three others who tested positive were granted bail and will report to the FCT Command for treatment and counseling.
In Edo State, NDLEA officers arrested four suspects in Ugun, Igueben LGA, and destroyed 18,632.22 kilograms of cannabis on a 7.452888-hectare farm.
The agency’s War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) campaign continued across the country, with sensitization activities in schools, worship centers, workplaces, and communities. These included lectures at First Technical University in Ibadan, Oyo State; Government Day Secondary School in Yola, Adamawa; Ezeike High School in Nibo, Anambra State; Mount Zion Anglican Church in Igoba, Akure, Ondo State; and a visit to the Oba of Yoruba’s palace in Kano.
Commending the officers for their efforts, Marwa warned drug cartels that the NDLEA, in collaboration with its partners, will always stay ahead of their trafficking methods. He encouraged officers nationwide to persist with their balanced approach to drug control.
