16th April, 2023
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, intercepted consignments of Tramadol, Rohypnol, Ecstasy (Designer drug), and Cannabis concealed in winter jackets and bottles of body cream at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, MMIA, Ikeja Lagos.
The psychoactive substances were recovered at the new terminal of the airport on Friday 14th April following the arrest of a passenger, Joshia Sunday who was traveling on a Qatar Airline flight via Doha to Oman, Middle East.
A thorough search of the suspect’s two black bags led to the discovery of 4.80 kilograms of cannabis concealed in three winter jackets and various quantities of Tramadol, Rohypnol, and Ecstasy (Designer drug) hidden in bottles of body lotion. Preliminary investigation revealed that the suspect came into Nigeria from Oman on April 7, and was returning exactly a week after.
Similarly, in Katsina state, no less than 1,730 bottles of codeine-based syrup were seized from a suspect, Bishir Saadu in Katsina metropolis on Sunday 9th April just as Muhamadu Yusuf was equally arrested the same day with 8,000 capsules of tramadol inside a commercial bus along Kano – Katsina road.
In the same vein, NDLEA operatives in Kaduna on Thursday 13th April raided a clandestine laboratory where mist potassium citrate was being produced in a residential apartment at 16 Sabon Gari, Zaria. The owner of the lab, Christopher Agodi was arrested and 102 cartons containing 2,448 bottles of the substance were recovered.
Similarly, anti-narcotic officers acting on a tip-off, arrested two suspects: Aminu Saudi, 45 and Abdullahi Sani, 35, at Ogbese, Ondo state, with 11 jumbo bags containing 211kg of cannabis concealed in rice chaff. This was closely followed by the destruction of six hectares of cannabis farm in the Uso forest in the state on Thursday 13th April.
Reacting Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Retd) commended the officers of the Agency for the arrests and seizures of the past week.
He urged them to remain focused and continue the current drug supply reduction and drug demand reduction efforts simultaneously.