The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has recorded a major breakthrough in its nationwide anti-narcotics campaign with the arrest of a Brazilian national found in possession of heroin valued at over ₦3 billion at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.
The suspect, Ms. Ingrid Rosa Benevides, a 30-year-old private security officer from Brazil, was apprehended last Friday shortly after arriving in Nigeria aboard Qatar Airways flight QR1431. NDLEA operatives acted on credible intelligence, leading to a detailed search of her checked-in luggage.
During the operation, officers discovered 21 factory-sealed packets of Brazilian coffee concealed in two suitcases. Further examination revealed that the coffee packs contained 30.09 kilogrammes of white heroin, which tested positive. The seizure is the largest single heroin haul ever recorded at the Abuja airport, with the agency estimating its street value at over ₦3 billion. In her preliminary statement, the suspect claimed she travelled to Nigeria under the guise of a holiday.
In Lagos, NDLEA operatives at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport intercepted two outbound passengers, Adediran Adedoyin and Afatakpa Ochuko, last Tuesday as they prepared to board a Turkish Airlines flight to Istanbul. A search of their luggage uncovered 3,990 pills of tapentadol (250mg) and tramaking (225mg) concealed inside food items.
In a separate operation, officers of the NDLEA Marine Command intercepted a wooden boat conveying 1,848 kilogrammes of Ghana Loud cannabis packaged in 44 jumbo bags at Jakande Beach, Lekki, in the early hours of Thursday. The consignment, reportedly just arrived from Ghana, was seized alongside the boat during a raid conducted around 1 a.m.
The agency also disrupted a potentially dangerous operation involving explosives. Two suspects, Aminu Ali Baba (20) and Abdulrasheed Abubakar (28), were arrested in connection with two bags containing 140 packets of explosives destined for Kano and Kaduna states. The items were intercepted inside a commercial bus along the Kaduna–Zaria highway, while follow-up operations led to the arrest of the suspects in Kano and Kaduna respectively.
In Kaduna State, an intelligence-led raid at Kwangila in Zaria Local Government Area led to the arrest of Fatima Ibrahim (42) and Adejimoh Ismaila (44), with 120 kilogrammes of skunk cannabis recovered.
As part of efforts to disrupt drug supply lines to terrorist networks, NDLEA operatives in Borno State intercepted 179,590 pills of tramadol and diazepam concealed in sacks of charcoal and animal feed while being transported from Potiskum, Yobe State, to Maiduguri. A follow-up operation resulted in the arrest of the owner of the consignment, Rabiu Imam (32).
In Kwara and Niger states, a female suspect, Mrs. Eze Chioma, was arrested in Mokwa, Niger State, following the interception of 78,500 tramadol pills at Bode Saadu, Kwara State, inside a truck originating from Lagos. Investigations revealed that her husband is currently remanded in prison for a similar drug trafficking offence.
In Ekiti State, NDLEA operatives arrested Afolalu Joseph (72) and Abu Bunmi, also known as “Go Slow” (45), for drug dealing, recovering a total of 62 kilogrammes of skunk from their residences in Ilawe-Ekiti.
Meanwhile, a village head, Chief James Abamu, and another suspect, Aboy Abamu, were arrested in Edo State following a joint operation with soldiers of the Nigerian Army’s 4 Brigade, Benin City. The operation led to the recovery of 681 kilogrammes of skunk and 181 kilogrammes of cannabis seeds at Lagos Camp, Ilushi, in Esan South-East Local Government Area.
Additional arrests were recorded across Kano, Oyo, Benue, the Federal Capital Territory, Lagos, Delta and Ondo states, with seizures including pentazocine injections, skuchies mixtures, tramadol pills, codeine syrup and over 1,500 kilogrammes of skunk cannabis.
Beyond enforcement, the NDLEA sustained its War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) campaign, conducting sensitisation programmes in schools, places of worship and communities across several states, including Taraba, Osun, Imo, Benue and Katsina.
Commending the officers involved, the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the NDLEA, Brigadier General Buba Marwa (Rtd.), praised the professionalism and operational efficiency displayed by commands nationwide, urging them to sustain the momentum in both drug supply reduction and drug demand reduction efforts.
