Nigeria’s National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has been actively combating drug trafficking and abuse, achieving notable success with recent arrests and seizures nationwide.
At the Murtala Mohammed International Airport in Lagos, a significant operation resulted in the apprehension of two passengers who tested positive for ingesting illegal substances. Aikhomoun Daniel and Ayigoro Waheed Omobolaji were found carrying 90 wraps of cocaine weighing 1.022kg and 60 wraps weighing 662g respectively.
Daniel, it was discovered, had assumed the identity of his deceased uncle, a former German resident, to fraudulently obtain a Schengen visa for unrestricted travel in Europe. In a separate incident at the Port Harcourt Ports complex in Rivers State, NDLEA operatives intercepted a staggering 6,125 cartons of codeine syrup, totaling 1.05 million bottles valued at over N7.35 billion.
This marks the third operation in the last month, underscoring the agency’s effective use of intelligence and meticulous tracking of illicit shipments. In Abuja, a drug-related event named “Go Hard or Go Home. Pick Your Poison” was disrupted, resulting in the arrest of 60 individuals—comprising 35 women and 25 men—at an apartment in Sun City estate. The operation was based on credible intelligence pointing to Stanley Ikechukwu as the organizer, who was apprehended on site.
Brigadier General Mohamed Buba Marwa (retired), Chairman and Chief Executive of NDLEA, commended the diligence of the officers involved and issued a stern warning to drug cartels, asserting the agency’s proactive stance against all forms of trafficking.
Furthermore, NDLEA has intensified its War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) campaign, conducting sensitization programs in schools, places of worship, workplaces, and communities nationwide. Recent initiatives included WADA enlightenment lectures at First Technical University in Ibadan, Government Day Secondary School in Yola, and Ezeike High School in Nibo, Anambra. Similar engagements took place at Mount Zion Anglican Church in Igoba, Akure, and advocacy visits to the Oba of Yoruba’s palace in Kano.
In addition to these efforts, NDLEA has successfully confiscated large quantities of cannabis from various locations across the country, further reinforcing its commitment to combating drug abuse and trafficking in Nigeria.
