LAGOS, Nigeria — Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have dismantled six major drug trafficking syndicates and arrested nine alleged kingpins in a nationwide offensive that uncovered narcotics concealed in industrial machinery, auto parts, and flight boarding passes.
The blistering crackdown, aimed at securing the country ahead of the holidays, resulted in the seizure of tons of illicit drugs and the disruption of distribution networks operating through Nigeria’s major airports and logistics corridors, agency officials said Sunday.
Femi Babafemi, the NDLEA Director of Media and Advocacy, confirmed that the intelligence-led operations led to the arrest of 30-year-old electrical appliances dealer Ebulue Lotanwa Uzochukwu and 51-year-old Christopher Michael Ndibuisi in Onitsha, Anambra state. The pair were apprehended on Nov. 18 attempting to collect a consignment imported from South Africa.
According to the agency, the suspects were receiving a shipment containing 5.40 kilograms of methamphetamine, 10.70 kilograms of “Loud” (a synthetic cannabis strain), and varying quantities of cocaine, phenacetin, methcathinone, and caffeine. The drugs were concealed inside pressure machine cylinders.
“The consignments had arrived the import shed of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport Ikeja-Lagos… on a Tag-Angola flight,” Babafemi stated. “A follow-up sting operation was thereafter organized in Onitsha, Anambra state where the recipients were arrested.”
In a separate interception at the Lagos airport on Nov. 20, operatives discovered 2.30 kilograms of cocaine packed into 48 pellets and hidden inside a brake servo automobile part destined for Gabon. The seizure led to the arrest of freight agent Ameh Solomon and auto parts dealer Nwafor Tochukwu Boniface at the ASPAMDA market in the Trade Fair Complex, Ojo.
Unusual Concealment and Online Sales
The crackdown also targeted street-level distribution and unusual concealment methods.
In Edo state, operatives arrested two women, Praise Nwogu, 19, and Ebong Emem Oghosa, 25, for allegedly producing and selling drug-laced brownies online. Nwogu was found with drug-laced pastries, while Oghosa was arrested with skunk, “Colorado,” and similar baked goods.
Meanwhile, in the Lekki area of Lagos, a suspect identified as Oluchi Celestine was arrested with 2.6 kilograms of “Colorado” packaged in branded containers, with some quantities concealed inside flight boarding passes.
Massive Seizures and Security Threats
The agency reported massive seizures of cannabis in the nation’s interior. In Kogi state, a trailer conveying 4,700 kilograms of skunk was intercepted at Kabba, leading to the arrest of three couriers and the alleged owner, Marcus Danladi Dan Mangu, in Jos, Plateau state. Similarly, a couple, Onun and Itam Okpotum, were arrested in Cross River state with 4,706 kilograms of skunk stored in their warehouse.
The operations also intercepted supplies intended for insurgent groups. On Nov. 21, operatives in Kebbi state arrested a suspect with 12,548 pills of opioids concealed in paracetamol containers, allegedly heading to a Boko Haram enclave in the Minok area of Borno state.
Additionally, a patrol on the Enugu/Onitsha road recovered 3,000 rounds of live ammunition alongside illicit drugs from a 24-year-old suspect.
Holiday Alert
Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Ret.), Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the NDLEA, commended the officers for the seizures and warned that the festive season often brings a spike in trafficking attempts.
“The coming weeks present both an opportunity and a challenge. Drug cartels may attempt to increase their illegal activities, seeking to profit during the busy holiday period,” Marwa said. “We must not, and we will not, let down our guard.”
The agency stated it will continue its “War Against Drug Abuse” (WADA) sensitization campaigns in schools and communities alongside these enforcement operations.
