The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has successfully intercepted two drug kingpins attempting to smuggle heroin into Nigeria through the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) in Lagos and the Port Harcourt International Airport (PHIA) in Rivers State.
According to NDLEA’s Director of Media & Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, one of the suspects, Onyekwonike Elochuckwu Sylvanus, 30, was arrested at PHIA on February 2, 2025, using a Sierra Leonean passport under the name Kargbo Mohamed Foday. After a body scan revealed illicit drugs, Sylvanus expelled 62 wraps of heroin, weighing 1.348 kilogrammes. Investigations show he has been trafficking drugs between Thailand, Pakistan, Iran, and West African nations since 2017, after his clothing business collapsed.
The second trafficker, James Herbert Chinoso, 48, was apprehended at MMIA on February 1, 2025, after arriving from Madagascar. A body scan confirmed heroin in his system, and he excreted 63 wraps of heroin totaling 909 grams. Chinoso revealed he turned to drug trafficking following the collapse of his phone accessories business in Liberia.
In addition to these arrests, NDLEA operatives intercepted significant drug shipments, including 2.82 kilograms of synthetic cannabis, “Loud,” from the United States, and 80 ampoules of pentazocine injections heading to Canada. NDLEA also seized large quantities of tramadol and cannabis in various other operations across the country, including Kano and Kogi states.
The NDLEA has continued its War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) by conducting sensitisation activities in schools, workplaces, and communities nationwide. NDLEA Chairman, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), commended the agency’s efforts in tackling drug trafficking and abuse.
