The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has made significant arrests and seizures in its ongoing efforts to combat drug trafficking in Nigeria. A businesswoman, Theresa Ebere Okolonkwo, was taken into custody on September 14 at the Lagos airport while attempting to board a Qatar Airways flight to Doha, Qatar. She had concealed two big parcels of methamphetamine, weighing 1.40 kilograms, in her butt pad underwear.
During a preliminary interview, Okolonkwo claimed she was recruited into the illicit drug business in Enugu, where she trades in used clothing and operates a POS business. In a related development, NDLEA operatives intercepted a consignment of food items used to conceal 40 wraps of methamphetamine at the Lagos airport’s export shed. The 2.30-kilogram shipment was headed to Hong Kong via Turkish Airlines, and a 59-year-old suspect, Umelo Ifeanyi Venatus, has been taken into custody.
Additionally, NDLEA operatives intercepted a shipment of phone chargers containing 257 grams of cocaine at a courier company in Lagos. The package was destined for New Zealand. In Adamawa, operatives recovered 233,800 pills of tramadol in three raids, with two suspects arrested. A total of 195,600 pills were found in an abandoned vehicle, while a suspect, Rita Zira, was caught with 27,900 pills in her bedroom.
Furthermore, NDLEA operatives seized 109 bags of skunk, weighing 1,099.4 kilograms, from a suspect in Zamfara state. Two suspects were also arrested with 14,000 capsules of tramadol in Yobe state. In Taraba, an operative nabbed a suspect with three sacks of skunk weighing 25.525kg. In Edo state, two cannabis farms with an estimated yield of 11,330.0625kg were destroyed, and suspects were arrested.
The NDLEA has continued its War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) sensitization activities, targeting schools, worship centers, workplaces, and communities. The agency’s efforts aim to dismantle drug trafficking organizations operating in Nigeria and globally, prioritizing those targeting the country’s youth population.
These arrests and seizures represent a significant milestone in the NDLEA’s determined effort to combat drug trafficking. The agency’s Chairman, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa, commended the officers and men involved in the operations, encouraging them to continue their efforts. The NDLEA’s balanced approach to drug control has yielded notable successes, and the agency remains committed to protecting Nigerian communities and the country’s image globally.