Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have dealt a major blow to drug trafficking in Lagos with the dismantling of an opioids cartel.
A baron, Onyekachi Pius Nwanagu, along with five members of his gang, were arrested and illicit substances worth over N6.7 billion were recovered from a secret warehouse in a residential estate in Isolo, Lagos.
According to a statement released by Femi Babafemi, Director of Media & Advocacy, NDLEA Headquarters, Abuja, the arrests followed credible intelligence that the drug trafficking organisation (DTO) was planning to distribute over 7.2 million pills of tramadol 225mg and 526,200 bottles of codeine syrup ahead of the Christmas festive season.
The syndicate’s warehouse was located at 23 Sunny Billa East Street, Bucknor, Isheri area of Lagos State.
Two members of the DTO, Egbo Innocent Udalor and Chukwe Emmanuel, were first apprehended at Apple Junction, Festac, while transporting 300 cartons of opioids on Wednesday, 19th November.
A follow-up operation on Thursday, 20th November led to the arrest of Nwanagu and other syndicate members, including Nwoye Sunday Ali, Nnacho Ogochukwu, and Oraghalia Chukwuebuka Philip.
In total, the NDLEA recovered 7,272,000 pills of tramadol valued at N3.96 billion and 53 million millilitres of codeine syrup worth N2.76 billion, bringing the combined street value of the seized drugs to N6.72 billion.
The substances were moved from the estate in eleven trucks to the NDLEA Central Exhibit Complex in Lagos.
Chairman and CEO of NDLEA, Brig Gen Mohamed Buba Marwa (rtd), praised the officers involved in the operation, describing the breakthrough as a major blow to cartels preying on Nigeria’s youth. He warned drug barons that the days of being untouchable were over.
“The arrest of this drug baron and his criminal cohorts, following an intensive intelligence operation, serves as a stark reminder that the long arm of the law will eventually catch up with every merchant of death,” he said.
