Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have successfully apprehended several major drug traffickers and seized substantial quantities of narcotics in a series of high-profile operations carried out across the country in the past week.
On Wednesday, November 20, 2024, a 50-year-old businessman, Osuoha Christian Iheanacho, was arrested at the Akanu Ibiam International Airport (AIIA) in Enugu for ingesting 90 pellets of cocaine weighing 2.019 kilograms. The businessman, who runs a phone and accessories business in Lagos and Gabon, was intercepted during routine inbound screening of passengers arriving from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on an Ethiopian Airlines flight. His arrest followed months of surveillance, and he was placed under excretion observation, during which he expelled the drugs in seven excretions. Osuoha confessed that he resorted to drug trafficking to revitalize his ailing business.
In a separate operation on Thursday, November 21, 2024, NDLEA operatives dismantled a cocaine distribution cartel led by 42-year-old Ndive Maxwell Obinna. The arrest, made along Ago Palace Way in Okota, Isolo, Lagos, resulted in the seizure of 2.412 kilograms of cocaine. Obinna’s associates, including Okeke Gloria Ifeoma (the cartel’s stash keeper), Ikechebelu Emmanuel Chibuzor, Okorie Onyedikachi, Okonkwo Nnabugo Prince, and Okafor Blessing Anita, were also arrested.
That same day, NDLEA agents in Lagos tracked down and arrested 58-year-old Chinese national Tianzhen Yen, alias “Jackie,” following an investigation into a cross-border trafficking syndicate. Yen was apprehended at his hotel in Ikeja, Lagos, where officers recovered 4.3 grams of cocaine, 1 gram of methamphetamine, electronic weighing scales, and his Chinese National ID card. Earlier, a suspect named Yakubu Emmanuel Mark was arrested with 750 grams of cocaine at the Seme checkpoint along the Badagry-Seme expressway.
In another significant operation at the Tincan Seaport in Lagos on Friday, November 22, 2024, NDLEA operatives intercepted 92 parcels of “Loud” synthetic cannabis, weighing a combined total of 23.25 kilograms. The cannabis was concealed in vehicles imported from Canada, specifically a Nissan car and a GMC bus. The discovery was made during a joint examination conducted by NDLEA, Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), and other stakeholders.
Meanwhile, in Rivers state, a major seizure took place at the Port Harcourt Ports Complex, Onne, when NDLEA operatives, in collaboration with customs and other security agencies, discovered two containers filled with opioids. The first container contained 168,000 bottles of codeine-based syrup, valued at N1.176 billion, while the second held 4.5 million pills of tramadol, valued at N3.15 billion. The combined value of both consignments totaled N4.326 billion.
Elsewhere, NDLEA officers made notable drug arrests across various states. In Ekiti state, 50-year-old Mustapha Boja, a physically challenged woman, was apprehended on November 17 with 286 grams of Colorado and Loud cannabis strains. In Oyo state, 64 kilograms of cannabis were seized from a motor park in Ibadan on November 21. NDLEA also conducted operations in Edo state, recovering more than 1,200 kilograms of cannabis in multiple raids. These operations led to the arrest of several suspects, including David Ojo Ederin (60), Afoje Frank (24), and Godwin Okhoya (40).
In Kano, NDLEA operatives arrested four individuals on November 19, 2024, with 45 kilograms of cannabis hidden in 100 blocks. Additionally, Ayuba Umar Zaranda, aged 55, was arrested in Bauchi state on November 22 with 124 kilograms of cannabis.
As part of its ongoing efforts to curb drug abuse, the NDLEA has continued its War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) initiative, carrying out sensitization activities in schools, workplaces, and communities nationwide. Recent outreach programs included lectures at Sardauna Academy in Katsina, Community Secondary School in Enugu, Government Secondary School in Kano, and other locations.
In a statement, NDLEA Chairman/CEO, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), praised the agency’s operatives for their impressive efforts, which have led to substantial arrests and seizures. He emphasized that the balanced approach between drug supply reduction and demand reduction is crucial in the fight against narcotics trafficking and abuse in Nigeria.
