NDLEA seizes ₦7bn worth of tramadol at Lagos port, arrests octogenarian

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has intercepted 8,725 kilogrammes of powdered tramadol worth over ₦6.98 billion at the Apapa Port in Lagos and arrested an 85-year-old woman with 179 kilogrammes of cannabis in Edo State.

In a statement on Sunday, the agency’s spokesman, Femi Babafemi, said the operatives also seized large consignments of cannabis, tramadol, diazepam and other illicit substances in operations across Lagos, Edo, Ondo, Bauchi, Kano, Kaduna and the Federal Capital Territory.

Mr Babafemi stated that the raid included the arrest of dozens of suspects, including an 85-year-old grandmother.

He said officers at Kano airport on Friday intercepted a female passenger, Fatimah Ahmad, with a gallon of palm oil containing parcels of cannabis weighing 511.75 grammes during the outward clearance of an Ethiopian Airlines flight to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, via Addis Ababa. “Fatimah told operatives the gallon was given to her by her cousin, Abubakar Yahaya, who was promptly arrested at the airport car park,” he said.

Mr Babafemi said that following a joint examination with customs and other agencies at the APM terminals in Apapa, Lagos, NDLEA operatives on October 2 uncovered a large shipment of powdered tramadol from India, declared as maize starch.

“A confirmatory test at the NDLEA forensic laboratory showed the cargo to be tramadol hydrochloride powder. When it was separated from its concealment on Wednesday, 14th October, it came to 349 bags with a gross weight of 8,725kg, worth over N6.98 billion,” he noted.

He added that at the Tin Can Island Port in Lagos, NDLEA operatives on October 12 discovered 55 kilogrammes of Canadian Loud, a potent strain of cannabis, worth ₦165 million. The drugs were concealed in brown cartons inside a Toyota Sienna vehicle shipped in a 40-foot container.

In another operation in Lagos, Mr Babafemi said officers raided Idumota Market on October 14 and arrested Elizabeth Chidera Kalu, recovering 10,600 ampoules of diazepam injection and 6,500 tablets of Molly from her store.

“The following day, Thursday 15th October, two 35-year-old men were arrested in the Mushin area of the state: Idowu Daudu, with 59.95kg of skunk, and Ahmed Oniyinde, with 61.23kg of the same substance,” he said.

According to him, in another interdiction operation in Lagos, operatives acting on credible intelligence intercepted a truck coming from the Trade Fair market with illicit drug consignments along Iyana Oba.

He identified the two suspects as Tajudeen Adeduntan, the loading manager and his assistant, Azeez Sikiru.

“A search of the truck led to the recovery of 18,000 pills of tramadol 250mg, concealed in cartons labelled as Rambo insecticide,” he noted.

In Edo State, the spokesman said officers raided Warake, Ivhiaro and Ewe/Irue communities in Owan East Local Government Area between October 15 and 16, arresting six suspects.

The suspects included 85-year-old Grace Ehimeka, who was allegedly found with 179 kilogrammes of cannabis in Warake. Others were Ayo Aigberadion, 53, who was arrested with 220.8 kilogrammes of cannabis; Ali Garba, 57, with 5.852 kilogrammes; Habib Braimoh, 45, with 100 grammes; Musa Mubid, 35, with two kilogrammes of cannabis, cannabis seeds, tramadol, Swinol and diazepam; and Hope Okoro, 35, with 237 grammes of Canadian Loud.

Mr Babafemi said that in Ondo State, NDLEA operatives on Saturday raided a cannabis farm in Okemoro Isinbode camp forest and destroyed 7,500kg of skunk on three hectares. Five suspects were arrested during the operation: Asikpo Ekpeyoung, 43; Solomon Okpani, 22; Ubong Friday, 35; Joseph Friday, 22; and Ekenimi Seth, 35.

According to him, in the Owo area of the state, operatives on Friday trailed 53-year-old Okunebe Ndidi to his hideout in Ameyinti, where they recovered 25 bags of cannabis weighing 375kg. “Not less than 894,800 tramadol capsules and exol-5 tablets were recovered from Shamsu Garba, 35, at Ragwam village, Katagum LGA, Bauchi State, when NDLEA officers intercepted his Volkswagen Golf waggon car on Wednesday, 14th October.

“The same day, operatives on patrol along the Bauchi-Gombe road recovered 291 blocks of cannabis weighing 265kg from an abandoned car at Tudun Natsira village,” he said. He added that two suspects, Ali Abdullahi, 38, and Ibrahim Adamu, 23, were arrested on Tuesday along the Zaria-Kano road in Kano with 30,100 tablets of tramadol 225mg seized.

The agency said a 54-year-old Murtala Dayyabu was arrested at Niger Street, Malan Kato, with 100,000 tablets of Exol-5 on Wednesday, October 14. “A raid by NDLEA operatives at Kayimi village, Kaduna State, led to the arrest of Mohammed Sani, 48; Zaharadeen Shafiu, 29; and Yakubu Abdullahi, 20, with 496.5kg of cannabis,” he said.

He said in a separate raid at Food Palace, Ali Akilu Road, Kaduna, John Ayo David, 39, was arrested with 49,500 tablets of tramadol 225mg, while a 42-year-old suspect, Odo Jonas Ejike, was arrested with 29,500 capsules of tramadol in the Utako area of Abuja on Saturday.