The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has dismantled a trans-border drug trafficking syndicate, arresting four key members and recovering a large cache of illicit substances, including tramadol pills concealed in vehicles and methamphetamine disguised as auto spare parts.
The nationwide crackdown, which followed weeks of intelligence gathering, led to coordinated raids across multiple states, including Anambra, Cross River, Nasarawa, Taraba, Ekiti, and Lagos.
In a statement released on Sunday, the agency’s Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, detailed the extensive operations and the strategic arrests made.
One of the key busts occurred on Tuesday, January 27, when NDLEA operatives intercepted a Sienna bus with registration number ABJ 452 HG along the Nasarawa-Toto Road in Keffi, Nasarawa State.
The vehicle, which was traveling from Onitsha, Anambra State, to Yola, Adamawa State, was found to contain large quantities of tramadol hidden in specially constructed steel compartments.
“Following weeks of surveillance, our officers uncovered tramadol pills worth millions of naira, concealed within the bumpers and false bottoms of two intercepted Sienna buses,” Babafemi stated.
Two suspects, Zahradeen Adamu (27) and Abubakar Usman (44), were arrested at the scene, while another suspect, Abba Usman (48), was later taken into custody.
Upon further investigation, NDLEA operatives traced the consignment to Kingsley Mbaeri, a drug dealer based in Onitsha. A follow-up operation on January 29 led to his arrest at his residence on Uga Street, where officers recovered a Toyota Corolla (FGG 948 MF) and a Toyota Sienna (GWA 23 HH) linked to drug distribution.
In another operation, NDLEA intercepted a commercial bus at the Abaji checkpoint in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) on February 4. A passenger, Chimezie Henry Ojingwa (32), was arrested while transporting auto spare parts in a black bag.
“Upon searching the bag, our officers discovered 404.47 grams of methamphetamine, 506.49 grams of Loud (a potent synthetic cannabis), and 262.32 grams of dimethyl sulfone, a precursor for meth production,” Babafemi added.
The agency also reported major seizures in Cross River, where operatives intercepted a truck carrying 170,000 tramadol pills along the Ogoja-Abakaliki Road in Yahe. The driver, Paul Chukwudi (31), was taken into custody.
At the Apapa seaport in Lagos, NDLEA officers confiscated 85,400 bottles of codeine-based syrup hidden in a container imported from India.
Two other suspects, Halilu Isa and Gambo Umaru, were arrested in Borno State with 60 compressed blocks of skunk, weighing 72 kilograms.
In Ekiti State, NDLEA operatives raided a notorious drug joint at Iloda Street, Ikole-Ekiti, arresting three suspects—Bala Muhammed (57), Yahaya Adamu (55), and Abdullahi Shehu (30)—with 83 kilograms of skunk in their possession.
In Lagos, a 28-year-old woman, Samiat Olabisi Yussuf, was arrested on February 15 after NDLEA operatives raided her residence in Lekki. The search led to the recovery of 169.5 liters of nitrous oxide (commonly known as laughing gas) and 111 grams of Loud.
Similarly, in Taraba, officers confiscated 132.84 kilograms of skunk from two suspects during operations in Wukari and Jalingo. Ibrahim Usman (40) was found with 88 kilograms of Arizona and Ghana Loud, while Solomon James (40) was caught with 44.84 kilograms of the same substance.
Reaffirming the agency’s commitment to tackling drug trafficking, Babafemi stated, “The NDLEA remains resolute in its fight against drug syndicates. Our intelligence-driven operations will continue to target traffickers and dismantle illicit networks.”
He urged the public to remain vigilant and report suspicious drug-related activities, adding, “We call on Nigerians to support our efforts in ridding the country of illicit drugs.”
