The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has made significant strides in its ongoing war against drug trafficking, arresting multiple suspects and seizing large quantities of illicit substances across the country.
Among the most notable arrests was that of Ibeanusi Solomon Nosike, a businessman from Onitsha, Anambra State, who excreted 68 wraps of cocaine after being under observation for 12 days following his arrest at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) in Lagos.
The 36-year-old was apprehended on August 8, 2024, while attempting to board a flight to Abuja, where he planned to connect to a Qatar Airways flight to Vietnam. The NDLEA, acting on intelligence, intercepted Ibeanusi before he could leave the country, eventually recovering 1.282 kilograms of cocaine from him.
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Similarly, Paul Okwuy Mbadugha, 54, was arrested at the Abuja airport on August 12, 2024, as he attempted to board a flight to Hanoi, Vietnam. After four days under observation, he excreted 88 wraps of cocaine weighing 1.710 kilograms.
In another operation, the NDLEA intercepted a consignment of 1.20 kilograms of cannabis at the MMIA destined for Dubai, UAE. This led to the arrest of another Onitsha-based businessman, Aligbo Chukwudi Jacob, on August 17, 2024.
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In a related development, a Special Operations Unit of the NDLEA arrested a syndicate of five female cross-border drug traffickers at the Seme border. The leader, Olaribigbe Bashirat Feyisara, 42, was tracked and arrested alongside her accomplices. They were found with 14 packs of “Loud,” a potent strain of cannabis, hidden on their bodies.
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The NDLEA also reported the interception of two containers from India at the Tincan seaport in Lagos on August 23, 2024, containing 1,596 cartons of codeine-based syrup with a street value of N2.234 billion.
Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Mohamed Buba Marwa, commended the agency’s operatives for their “dexterity and commitment to the ongoing balanced approach to drug control efforts.”
He urged officers across the country to continue their vigilance, stating, “Our relentless efforts in curbing the trafficking and use of illicit substances are critical to safeguarding the health and security of our nation.”
The NDLEA continues to intensify its War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) with various sensitization activities, reaching out to schools, workplaces, and communities across the country.