The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has uncovered multiple drug smuggling and trafficking operations across Nigeria, intercepting a wide range of narcotics including cocaine, methamphetamine, cannabis, heroin, and tramadol in a sweeping nationwide crackdown.
In one of the most shocking discoveries, NDLEA operatives intercepted a cocaine shipment hidden inside 20 religious books, destined for Saudi Arabia. The consignment, weighing 500 grams, was seized on Tuesday, April 15, during a routine check by officers of the Directorate of Operations and General Investigation (DOGI) at a courier logistics hub.
The agency’s Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, confirmed the arrest in a statement, noting that the cocaine was carefully concealed between the pages of the books.
On the same day, a separate shipment from the United States containing five parcels of Loud—a potent strain of cannabis—was also intercepted. The 2.8kg consignment was hidden in a carton at another courier firm.
Meanwhile, in Kano, NDLEA officers arrested 22-year-old Muhammad Mohammed, alleged to be a supplier of illicit drugs to bandits. He was intercepted on April 13 along Bichi-Kano Road with 277 ampoules of pentazocine injection strapped to his thighs and private parts. Another suspect, Mohammed Abdulaziz, 43, was caught the same day in Nasarawa, Kano, with 68 blocks of cannabis weighing 30kg.
In Edo State, operatives destroyed two cannabis farms in Egbeta forest, wiping out 3,717.8kg of marijuana spread across 1.48 hectares. Additionally, 136.5kg of processed cannabis was recovered during the operation.
At Lagos’ Tincan seaport, NDLEA operatives apprehended Kayode Basorun, 40, a fugitive linked to a 2023 shipment of 107kg of Loud smuggled from Canada. Another trafficker, Dauda Yakubu, who operated within the seaport community, was arrested on April 14.
A major bust occurred in Bayelsa State, where operatives raided a warehouse along Major General Isaiah Allison Street, Opolo, Yenagoa, seizing 557.2kg of skunk, 5.6kg of methamphetamine, and 29.8 grams of heroin. Four suspects—Kurtis Sarimiye (46), Roland Prosper (34), Paul Sarimiye (45), and Fidelis Ugbesla (46)—were arrested during the operation on April 16.
In Lagos, a delivery van was intercepted in Surulere on April 17 with 1,100kg of skunk. The driver, Ismail Abdullahi, was arrested at the scene.
NDLEA officers also stormed the residence of Ike Ani, 30, in Zaria, Kaduna State, on April 18, where they recovered 31,950 pills of tramadol and diazepam.
In Kebbi State, a routine patrol along Bagudo Road led to the seizure of 97kg of skunk hidden in sacks of charcoal. The suspects—Abubakar Ibrahim (50), Mustapha Aliyu (32), and Bashar Lawali (28)—were arrested on the spot.
Further arrests were made in Anambra State where 48-year-old Okafor Marcel was nabbed with 11.5kg of skunk, and in Osun State where 27-year-old Ajala Mercy was found with 43 litres of skushi, a cocktail of cannabis, opioids, and black currant, during a raid at her residence in Dada Estate, Osogbo.
The NDLEA reiterated its commitment to dismantling drug trafficking networks and disrupting supply chains as it intensifies nationwide operations against illicit drugs.
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