The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has confiscated 1,960 kilogrammes of cannabis and apprehended six foreign nationals during a Christmas Eve raid at Eleko Beach, Lekki, Lagos.
In a pre-dawn operation at 2:30 a.m., NDLEA’s Marine Command intercepted two boats loaded with Ghanaian Loud, a potent cannabis strain, smuggled from Ghana.
Femi Babafemi, NDLEA’s Director of Media and Advocacy, revealed that among those arrested were two Ghanaians, Godsway John (38) and Freedom Kelvin (33), alongside four Beninese nationals: Chegoun Hounsou (23), Gadabor Nyameto (47), Adantg Sasa (34), and Ayao Kayivi (21).
In another operation, NDLEA officers at Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, arrested a 48-year-old businessman, Orizu Ifeanyi Arthur, attempting to smuggle 74 wraps of heroin and cocaine. Orizu, who claimed he owned a shop in Lagos, was intercepted on December 22 during the outward clearance for Air France Flight 844 to Paris.
Babafemi explained, “When he was pulled aside for a body scan, he turned down the request claiming his medical condition won’t allow him. He was thereafter taken into custody for excretion observation during which he excreted a total of 74 wraps of the Class A drugs over a period of seven days.”
“In his statement, Orizu claimed he owns a shop at Balogun market, Lagos Island where he sells school and travelling bags, adding that he was promised 3,000 Euros upon successful delivery of the consignment in Paris. He left his base in Lagos for the Abuja airport to connect his Air France flight to Paris, hoping to escape detection,” he added.
In Katsina, two suspects were detained for cannabis trafficking. Ibrahim Shaibu (35) was arrested on Christmas Day at Central Motor Park with 40 parcels of compressed cannabis sativa weighing 35kg, while Umar Ahmed (47) was caught on December 28 along the Zaria-Malumfashi Road with 27 parcels of cannabis weighing 13.5kg.
In Edo State, NDLEA operatives raided an area on New Lagos Road, Benin City, on December 23, apprehending 21-year-old Kosisochukwu Ozigbo. Items recovered included 32,490 tramadol pills (225mg, 200mg, and 100mg), 936 bottles of codeine-based syrup, and various quantities of other opioids.
As part of its War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) initiative, NDLEA ramped up awareness campaigns in schools, markets, and communities, especially in Lagos and Adamawa States.
NDLEA Chairman Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd) praised the officers for their exceptional work and urged continued vigilance in 2024. “We must intensify actions against drug barons while advancing advocacy campaigns to combat substance abuse,” he said.
