The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has intercepted large consignments of codeine-based syrup and Loud, a synthetic strain of cannabis, with an estimated street value of N2.2 billion. These seizures occurred at Port Harcourt seaports, Onne, and the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos.
Femi Babafemi, the NDLEA spokesperson, announced that the agency’s officers, in cooperation with other security agencies, intercepted a significant consignment of Loud at the Lagos airport. This included 320 parcels weighing 164.5 kilograms, transported from Canada via Amsterdam on a KLM flight. The consignment, valued at N960 million, was brought in by Ughenu Nnaife, a resident of Germany, who claimed he was paid N6 million to smuggle the drug.
In another operation, NDLEA operatives intercepted a container marked TEMU 6807401 at the Port Harcourt Ports Complex. The container, imported from India en route to Enugu, held 1,750 cartons of codeine, weighing 26,250 kilograms and containing 175,000 bottles. The street value of this consignment is over N1.2 billion.
Additionally, in Abuja, a 25-year-old woman, Blessing Thomas, was arrested with one kilogram of methamphetamine on the Kwali-Gwagwalada expressway. In Nasarawa, a 70-year-old grandfather, Muhammadu Ibrahim, was caught with 57.2 kilograms of cannabis in Lafia.
Further operations in Ekiti and Katsina states led to the seizure of 426 kilograms of cannabis in Ara forest and 42 kilograms of cannabis from a Nigerien national, Suleman Audu, respectively.
The NDLEA’s War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) initiative continues to engage communities, schools, and workplaces nationwide. Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa (Retd), NDLEA Chairman, commended the officers for their dedication, noting the significant impact on reducing the availability of illicit substances in Nigeria. He urged continued vigilance and collaboration with other agencies.
