Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have successfully intercepted 25 million pills of tapentadol, an opioid three times more potent than tramadol, and 350,000 bottles of codeine-based syrup at the Tincan port complex in Lagos.
According to the NDLEA spokesperson, Mr. Femi Babafemi, the seizures occurred on September 17 and 20, 2024, following intelligence that placed three containers under the agency’s watchlist.
As part of their investigation, the NDLEA requested a 100% joint examination of the shipments, collaborating with the Nigeria Customs Service and other security agencies.
The 25 million tapentadol pills, packed in 500 cartons, were discovered on September 17, with an estimated street value of N13.73 billion.
On the same day, another container yielded 175,000 bottles of Barcadin cough syrup with codeine, packed in 875 cartons. A third container containing 175,000 bottles of CSC cough syrup with codeine was discovered on September 20. Together, the seizures have a total street value of N14.95 billion.
In a separate incident, NDLEA operatives in Lagos arrested an 80-year-old grandfather, Pa Aremu Shojobi, at his home in the Iyana Ipaja area on Friday.
The octogenarian was found in possession of 14 kilograms of cannabis and confessed to selling illicit drugs for the past 25 years, claiming he sourced his supply from Benin Republic and operated daily from 7 am to 10 pm.
Additionally, NDLEA operatives in Lagos raided the homes of a community leader, Alhaji Bashir Mohammed Talba, the Sarkin Yamma of Badagry West LCDA, on September 18. A total of 226 kg of cannabis was seized from his two wives and son.
Although Alhaji Talba remains at large, the raid uncovered 93 compressed blocks of cannabis weighing 57.6 kg at his first residence in Ashipa, seized from his first wife, Asma’u Bashiru, and son, Sadat Bashiru.
A further search at his second residence in Aketegbo led to the discovery of 302 compressed blocks of cannabis weighing 168.6 kg, seized from his second wife, Hauwa Bashir.
In another operation, on September 16, the NDLEA recovered 720 blocks of Arizona (a strain of cannabis) weighing 390 kg from a Mitsubishi delivery van at the Ojo area of Lagos.
At Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport (MAKIA) in Kano, on September 15, NDLEA operatives arrested a 38-year-old drug mule, Okafor Ifeanyi Anthony, who attempted to board a Qatar Airlines flight to Iran via Doha with 76 wraps of cocaine in his stomach. Over three days, he excreted all 76 pellets, weighing 1.267 kg.
Meanwhile, in Kogi State, officers intercepted 700,000 pills of exol-5 on the Okene-Lokoja-Abuja expressway on September 17, which were being transported from Lagos for distribution in Kano and Kaduna.
In another incident on September 20, operatives arrested Udemefuna Chibuike along the Mokwa-Jebba road in Niger State with 49,000 tablets of tramadol, 20,000 tablets of diazepam, 100 ampoules of tramadol injection, and 50 bottles of codeine cough syrup.
Further seizures took place on September 18 in Rivers State, where 451 blocks of cannabis weighing 213 kg were intercepted along Azikiwe Road in Port Harcourt.
The suspect, Ogochukwu Paul, was arrested while transporting the consignment to a known drug hub in Borikiri.
In Plateau State, NDLEA officers arrested a wanted suspect, Jonathan Ali Abuttur, on Friday at Agingi-Rukuba Road, Bassa LGA.
He was found with 808 kg of cannabis sativa concealed in 68 bags of sugar and fertilizer. In Kwara State, another suspect, Shaibu Musa, was apprehended with 28 kg of the same substance.
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