Nigeria: NDLEA destroys drug cartel, seizes 14.4 million opioid pills in Lagos raid
By Ahmad Hadizat Omayoza, Mamos Nigeria
Abuja – Officials of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have seized and recovered 14,481,519 tablets of Tramadol and bottles of codeine syrup with a stress value of over N13 billion.
NDLEA spokesperson, Mr. Femi Babafemi, confirmed the operation and said the blasts were against three major drug cartels operating from Amuwo-Odofin, Idumota and SAHCO huts at Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos State. Stated.
He said: “Three intelligence-led operations began on October 29 with the attack on Amuwo Odofin’s Ago Palace area, sacred estates and 8/10 Wahha Street. 490,000 tablets and 81,519 bottles of tramadol and 4,510,000 ml of codeine syrup were collected.
“In a similar operation on October 31, NDLEA operatives raided the secret warehouse of billionaire Idumota trader, Nwaoha Anayo, in Onitile, Aguda District, Surulere, where they recovered 12.7 million tramadol tablets. was recovered.
“In the same vein, at least six members of a syndicate using their official cover to facilitate the smuggling of illicit drugs through the Skyway Aviation Handling Company, SAHCO, warehouse at the Lagos airport into the country have been arrested and 1,210,000 pills of tramadol seized from them in a painstaking operation that lasted for weeks.
“The six suspects already in NDLEA custody include: Oladele Sanya-Olu, Lawal Temitope, Sanamo Daniel, Udeh Monday, Musa Mutalib and Unege Icibor, while three other suspects: Sarki Salami; Abdullahi Aliyu (aka Aboki); and Monday Anwal, are now on the run and wanted by NDLEA.”
Babafemi said: “At the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, NAIA, Abuja, NDLEA operatives on October 29, intercepted yet another businessman, 50-year-old Nwokolo Anthony, during the outward clearance of Air France flight AF 878 to Amsterdam, Netherlands via Paris, France at the boarding gate and was body scanned.
“The result turned out to be positive for illicit drug ingestion.
“The suspect, who travelled from Lagos to board the flight was subsequently kept under observation for some days during which he excreted a total of 86 pellets of heroin weighing 1.330kilograms.”
