The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested two individuals, including a businessman and an ex-convict, in separate attempts to traffic illicit drugs to South Africa and Italy.
The agency also seized over 1 million opioid pills during coordinated operations across several states.
The arrests and seizures were disclosed in a statement by Femi Babafemi, Director, of Media & Advocacy, NDLEA, on Sunday, December 22, 2024.
In Lagos, NDLEA operatives foiled an attempt by ex-convict Olanrewaju Bada Akorede to export a consignment of Rohypnol to South Africa.
The drugs were hidden in a cargo containing gari, shoes, and men’s singlets at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA).
“Olanrewaju was convicted for a similar crime earlier this year following his arrest on December 12, 2023, for attempting to ship 4.90kg of tramadol and 2.10kg of Rohypnol to South Africa,” Babafemi revealed.
The ex-convict had served a two-year sentence with an option of a N900,000 fine, which he paid before returning to the same crime.
Operatives at the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport (MAKIA), Kano, intercepted Olisaka Chibuzo Calistus, a businessman, with 256 wraps of cocaine weighing 6 kilograms.
The arrest occurred on Sunday, December 15, during the inward clearance of passengers on Ethiopian Airlines flight ET 941 from Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, via Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
“This is the single largest interception of cocaine at the Kano airport since the creation of the MAKIA Command of NDLEA in 2006,” Babafemi stated.
Olisaka, who claimed to be involved in import and export, was subjected to body screening, which revealed hundreds of cocaine pellets concealed within his body.
An Italy-based businesswoman, Cynthia Akaeen, was arrested on Wednesday, December 18, while attempting to board a Royal Air Maroc flight to Italy. She was found with 9,190 tramadol tablets weighing 6 kilograms.
According to Babafemi, Cynthia confessed she was promised €1,000 upon successful delivery of the drugs in Italy.
In addition to the arrests, NDLEA operatives conducted raids in multiple states, leading to significant drug recoveries:
Anambra: 418,330 pills of tramadol and tapentadol, and 8,000 bottles of codeine syrup from a warehouse in Onitsha.
Lagos: 180,000 bottles of codeine syrup from a container originating from India.
Borno: 293,000 capsules of tramadol, a pistol, and 26 rounds of ammunition were seized from suspects Ishaya Wabba and Samaila Audu.
In Maiduguri, another suspect, Modu Kolera, was arrested with 8.5kg of cannabis, tramadol, diazepam, and other psychoactive substances.
The NDLEA Chairman, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), lauded the officers involved in the operations, urging them to maintain their efforts.
“Let’s not rest on our oars as we intensify our balanced approach to drug supply reduction and drug demand reduction efforts,” Marwa said.