The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) successfully circumvented the plans of a number of drug cartels to push the sales of millions of doses of illicit drugs in several parts of Lagos State.
In a number of raids organized in different parts of the country within this festive period, the NDLEA successfully confiscated an accumulated 8,381,600 tablets and capsules of Tramadol, alongside a total of 58,782 bottles of codeine.
Brigadier General Mohamed Buba Marwa, the Chief Executive officer, had charged his officers to maintain constant surveillance on multiple targets, particularly Lagos State areas like Satellite Town and Alaba Rago.
The spokesman for the NDLEA , Femi Babafemi, informed the public in his statement on Sunday that the target in Satellite Town was raided on Thursday. The raid resulted in the capture of a drug lord known as Ezekiel Ibe.
The NDLEA were able to recover more than five tons of Tramadol, measuring about 225mg and 100mg each, from his warehouse. The contents amounted to 7,991,600 tablets of Tramadol and 390,000 capsules of the same drug, all at a combined weight of 5,468.894 kilograms.
At Alaba Rago in the Alaba area of Lagos, another raid which was conducted following the maintained surveillance of the district, culminated in the arrest of Surajo Mohammed, and the confiscation of 941.14kg of cannabis. Another 56.782 bottles of codeine was discovered in the store of a different drug lord who remains at large.
NDLEA operatives apprehended Amaka Ogonachukwu, a 22 year old girl who was in possession of wraps of cocaine which was disguised in cooked white rice. Amaka attempted to smuggle the cocaine for her boyfriend, identified as Monday Imagbebenikaro a 40 year old man, who had already been detained by the Edo State Command of the NDLEA.
Monday Imagbebenikaro had been taken into custody following his arrest along Airport road in Benin City, Oredo Local Government Area, he was caught dealing in Cannabis Sativa, Danabel (Anabolic steroids) and crack cocaine.
In related news, an outgoing passenger, Ovire Cyril, was arrested while trying to board a Turkish Airline. He was heading to Italy with114 wraps of heroin, grossly weighing 180kg, and was discovered amidst a routine search at Murtala Mohammed International Airport MMIA, Ikeja, Lagos State.
The drugs were hidden in his suitcase, spread in between four jean trousers. He confessed that he had recently lost his job and hardship had forced him to turn to crime. He said upon successful delivery he was to receive 5,000 Euros in exchange for his service.
Another drug smuggler was discovered on the same day, at the same Gate “C”. Osakue Evbuomwan, a man travelling to Milan, Italy was apprehended with 1.55kg of Tramadol which he attemted to hide In a bag (‘Ghana must go’).
The Chief Executive, Marwa, commended the efforts of the officers and commanders, also the men of the Edo, Lagos and MMIA commands, for not letting their guard down in the midst of the celebration season.
He urged them to aim even higher in their endeavors, and assured the commands of the entire agency that exemplary performance would always be rewarded, as far as his leadership was concerned and asked that they remain focused on the task ahead.