Felix Mbata, Lagos state
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has made significant breakthroughs in combating drug trafficking in Nigeria, arresting several high-profile suspects and seizing large quantities of illicit substances. In a series of intelligence-led operations, NDLEA officers uncovered a cocaine consignment hidden in palm kernel oil cans bound for the UK, arrested a pastor and his wife with skunk, and intercepted a female drug supplier to bandits in Borno.
In Lagos, NDLEA operatives at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport intercepted 3.10 kilograms of cocaine hidden in tins of palm kernel extract intended for shipment to the UK. Two suspects, Idris Olayiwola Amoo and Akinlami Akinsoji Adedoyin, were promptly arrested. A sting operation led to the arrest of the sender, Ezemuwo Joel, and the kingpin, 52-year-old King Arinze, who was flushed out of a hideout in Isolo. Arinze confessed to personally draining the oil from the tins to conceal the cocaine. In a separate operation, Pastor Afolabi Hodonu and his wife, Mrs. Success Hodonu, were arrested at Gbaji checkpoint with 11kg of skunk concealed in their vehicle.
In Borno, Aisha Adamu, a 28-year-old woman, was intercepted with 4.3 kilograms of Colorado, a potent synthetic strain of cannabis, while supplying to bandits. In Adamawa, 48,000 pills of tramadol were seized, and 28,600 capsules were recovered in Benue. Other notable seizures include 1,378 kilograms of skunk in Edo, 351 kilograms in Ondo, and 45.6kg in Oyo.
The NDLEA also reported the arrest of several other suspects, including a notorious drug dealer, Ayantola Omodunmomi, in Ibadan, and a 66-year-old man, Aminu Usman Gembu, with 28,600 capsules of tramadol in Benue.
NDLEA Chairman, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa, commended officers for their efforts, stating, “These successful operations are a testament to the Agency’s evolving intelligence capabilities and our unwavering commitment to choking the supply lines of drug cartels. Whether they hide behind legitimate businesses, religious titles, or complex concealment methods, we will find them.”
The War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) social advocacy activities by NDLEA Commands also continued across the country, with sensitization lectures delivered to students and staff in various schools.
Key Arrests and Seizures:
– King Arinze, 52, kingpin of a cocaine trafficking syndicate
– Pastor Afolabi Hodonu and wife, Mrs. Success Hodonu, with 11kg of skunk
– Aisha Adamu, 28, with 4.3kg of Colorado
– 48,000 pills of tramadol seized in Adamawa
– 28,600 capsules of tramadol recovered in Benue
– 1,378kg of skunk seized in Edo
– 351kg of skunk recovered in Ondo
– 45.6kg of skunk seized in Oyo
The NDLEA’s efforts demonstrate its commitment to combating drug trafficking in Nigeria. The agency’s intelligence-led operations have led to significant breakthroughs, and it vows to continue targeting drug cartels and bringing perpetrators to justice.