National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) operatives attached to terminal II departure hall of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Ikeja Lagos on Thursday 18th December intercepted a 36-year-old businessman Nwanwene Robinson Destiny with a total of 1,020 pills of tramadol 225mg and tapentadol 200mg concealed in his luggage while attempting to board a Royal Air-Maroc flight to Milan, Italy where he’s based.
The NDLEA spokesman, Femi Babafemi disclosed this in a statement issued on Sunday in Lagos
Mr. Babafemi said dthe suspect claimed the successful trafficking of the opioids to Italy would have fetched him Two Hundred Euros (€200.00) from the person he was to deliver them to.
He said: “At the Seme border in Badagry area of Lagos, a 48-year-old Beninoise Leocardi Josu was on Thursday 18th December arrested by NDLEA officers while attempting to cross into Nigeria with 3,400 tablets of tramadol 225mg, even as a suspect Abdullahi Adamu, 30, was nabbed along Okene/Lokoja highway with 28.400kg skunk, a strain of cannabis and Colorado, a synthetic cannabis on Friday 19th December.
“In Oyo state, NDLEA operatives on Friday 19th December recovered 125,000 capsules of tramadol and 1,800 ampoules of pentazocine injection in a Toyota Hiace bus marked XD 592 AWL along Lagos-Ibadan expressway, while two suspects: Ogunlade Kazeem, 54, and Adeleke Ismail, 30, were arrested with 185.4 kilograms of skunk at Challenge motor park, Ibadan, on Wednesday 17th December.
“A total of 405kg skunk was seized when NDLEA operatives raided Owena/Ijesha forest in Osun state where a suspect Charles James, 45, was nabbed on Friday 19th December, while another suspect Jamilu Zakari, 42, was arrested with 14,960 pills of tramadol 225mg at tollgate, along Abuja – Kaduna highway same day.
“The consignment of opioids was concealed in two kolanut sacks (huhun goro) coming from Abuja to Gusau, Zamfara state.
He said aross all Commands and formations of the Agency nationwide, NDLEA officers continued their War Against Drug Abuse, WADA, sensitization activities in schools, worship centres, work places and communities among others in the past week.
These include: WADA enlightenment lecture to students and staff of secondary schools in Anambra at Women Development Centre, Awka; Youth Craft Village, Malumfashi, Katsina and members of NURTW in Ado Ekiti, Ekiti state, among others.
He quoted the Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd) as commending the officers and men of the Special Operations Unit, MMIA, Seme, Kogi, Kaduna, Oyo and Osun Commands for the arrests, seizures and their dexterity,
He enjoined them and their colleagues across the country to remain extra vigilant during the festive season and ensure that highest standard of professionalism is maintained in all their drug supply reduction and drug demand reduction activities all through the period and beyond.