In a major crackdown on international and local drug trafficking, the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has intercepted large consignments of illicit substances and arrested key individuals involved in smuggling operations. The latest operations have led to the recovery of cocaine, methamphetamine, opioids, and cannabis, with a significant arrest involving a businessman attempting to smuggle cocaine through one of the country’s busiest airports.
A key development in the series of successful operations occurred at Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport (MAKIA), where 52-year-old businessman Ejiofor Godwin Emeka was arrested after arriving on a flight from Bangkok, Thailand. Emeka, who run boutiques in Lagos and Onitsha, was found to have swallowed a large quantity of cocaine and concealed additional wraps in his private parts. The businessman was taken into custody based on credible intelligence, and a body scan confirmed the presence of illicit substances in his system.
Emeka was placed under excretion observation, during which he expelled 127 wraps of cocaine. A total of 58 wraps were recovered immediately from his clothing, and the remaining 69 wraps were excreted in seven separate instances, bringing the total weight of the cocaine seized to 1.388 kilograms. The arrest highlighted the extreme lengths traffickers will go to smuggle drugs into the country, using concealment methods such as ingestion and bodily concealment.
Simultaneously, NDLEA operatives intercepted several high-profile international drug shipments at courier companies in Lagos. Among these, a shipment bound for the United Kingdom contained 1.74 kg of methamphetamine concealed in blocks of glass ceramics. Another shipment, which was also destined for the UK, contained over 280 grams of opioids pentazocine and tramadol hidden within Vitamin C containers. In another operation, 2.6 kg of cannabis (skunk) and 422 grams of tapentadol, disguised as black soap tablets, were seized while en route to Turkey.
The agency also thwarted an attempt to export 169 grams of cocaine hidden in women’s handbags to Australia and intercepted 568 grams of “Loud,” a potent cannabis strain, concealed in herbal containers bound for the UAE. Additionally, over 27,500 Rohypnol pills, disguised as alcoholic drink sachets, were seized at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport (MMIA) in Lagos, with South Africa as the intended destination.
In another significant case, Enehizena Augustine Uyimwen, an Italy-based businessman, was arrested at MMIA while attempting to export 3,700 tramadol pills and 2,600 tapentadol tablets hidden in food items to Italy. Uyimwen, who claimed to be trafficking the drugs for someone else for a fee, was apprehended as part of a larger effort to curb international drug smuggling operations.
NDLEA’s operations were not limited to international shipments. In Edo state, operatives raided a suspect’s home in Ugbekpe Ekperi, recovering 47 kg of cannabis. In Osun, Rivers, and Katsina states, further seizures of cannabis (skunk) were made, along with arrests connected to the trafficking. In Niger state, the agency intercepted a significant haul of 22,000 tramadol capsules, 800 ampoules of pentazocine injection, and 150,000 exol-5 pills from a local trafficker.
NDLEA agents also conducted successful operations in Ondo and Kaduna states, leading to the seizure of large quantities of skunk and exol-5 pills. These efforts underscore the agency’s widespread reach in dismantling drug trafficking networks, both domestic and international.
In addition to enforcement actions, the NDLEA continue to engage in its War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) campaign. Through this initiative, the agency has conducted sensitization programs in schools, worship centers, and communities across the country. These programs aim to educate the public, particularly the youth, about the dangers of drug abuse and its harmful effects on individuals and society.
Brig Gen Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), Chairman of NDLEA, commended the professionalism and dedication of the agency’s operatives in these successful operations. He praised the collaborative efforts across different commands and formations, emphasized the importance of continued vigilance in combating the growing threat of drug trafficking. “Our work is far from over. As we continue to disrupt these networks, we must remain resolute in our mission to protect the health and safety of Nigerians from the devastating effects of illicit drugs,” Marwa stated.
The recent operations reflected the NDLEA’s ongoing commitment to both local and global drug control efforts, as the agency work tirelessly to dismantle trafficking networks and prevent the spread of harmful substances across Nigeria and beyond.
