By Deborah Nnamdi
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has announced the interception of over six million pills of opioids, with an estimated street value of N6.5 billion, at the Port Harcourt Ports Complex in Rivers State and the Apapa Seaport in Lagos.
According to a statement from Femi Babafemi, Director of Media and Advocacy at NDLEA headquarters in Abuja, the seizure at Port Harcourt included six million opioid pills and 162,000 bottles of codeine syrup. These were discovered in two containers during a joint inspection involving NDLEA operatives, Nigerian Customs, and other security agencies.
At the Apapa port, a separate inspection on Thursday, May 22, led to the discovery of an additional 170,000 bottles of codeine syrup hidden in a flagged container.
In a related operation, NDLEA officers arrested two British nationals—Mhizha Jordan Alexander Tatendra and Ayedipe Andrew Adejuwon—along with two Nigerian accomplices, Shonowo Oluwaseun Imole and Ofuoma Omokaro Ayobami, for attempting to smuggle 92 bags of Loud, a potent strain of cannabis weighing 51.10kg, through the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) in Lagos.
Alexander was apprehended upon arrival from Doha on a Qatar Airways flight on May 15. He was trailed by NDLEA agents to the airport car park, where he met with Adejuwon, Shonowo, and their driver, Ofuoma. All suspects were arrested with the drugs found in their vehicle. Alexander confessed to being recruited during a vacation and was promised £1,300 for the delivery.
A subsequent search of the group’s apartment in Lekki uncovered N93,000 in cash, 17,200 South African Rand, N3.81 million, an Apple laptop, an iPhone 14 Pro Max, and four nitrous oxide canisters.
Meanwhile, in other nationwide operations:
NDLEA destroyed 75,000kg of cannabis on 30 hectares in Esuk-Odot village, Cross River State, and recovered 200kg of the same substance.
In Edo State, 1,957.5kg of cannabis was destroyed in Ohosu and Okhuse forests.
In Nasarawa, 4,000kg of cannabis concealed under unprocessed wood was seized, with two suspects arrested. Another suspect was caught with 154.5kg in Karu.
In Kaduna, 22-year-old Muhammad Hamza was caught with 57,750 pills of tramadol and diazepam.
In Bauchi, 45-year-old Usman Muhammad was found with 80 blocks of cannabis weighing 45kg.
In Yobe, 55 parcels of Colorado cannabis (2kg) were seized from a suspect attempting to smuggle them into Chad.
In Niger State, NDLEA operatives arrested a suspect with 97kg of compressed cannabis along Mokwa-Jebba Road.
In Lagos, two raids in Lekki led to the arrest of Jonathan Isa and Olamilekan Idowu with various narcotics including cocaine, methamphetamine, molly, Rohypnol, and 48kg of cannabis.
NDLEA Chairman/CEO Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd) commended the agency’s personnel across multiple commands for their recent successes in both drug supply reduction and demand reduction efforts.
