The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has intercepted multiple consignments of cocaine and pharmaceutical opioids concealed in ladies’ sanitary pads and hair treatment cream containers, intended for export to the United Kingdom, Ireland, and Cyprus. The seizures occurred across three courier firms in Lagos during a series of operations conducted from September 2 to September 6, 2024.
At one logistics company, NDLEA officers recovered 30 parcels of cocaine, weighing 1.1 kilograms, concealed in hair cream containers en route to Ireland on September 3, 2024. A similar consignment of 24 parcels, weighing 862 grams and destined for the UK, was intercepted three days later.
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In another major bust, 525 pills of tramadol and MDMA hidden in sanitary pads, bound for Cyprus, were seized on September 3. Additionally, shipments of promethazine and pentazocine injections, concealed in food items and herbs headed for London, were intercepted on September 4.
Mohamed Buba Marwa, Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of the NDLEA, commended the agency’s officers for their success, stating, “These operational achievements demonstrate our commitment to fighting drug trafficking. I urge all officers to continue intensifying their efforts to reduce drug supply and demand.”
In a separate operation in Ekiti State, NDLEA operatives, backed by the Nigerian Army, destroyed over 100,000 kilograms of cannabis spread across 51 hectares of farmland in the Ise-Ekiti forest reserve between September 3 and 4. The raid targeted settlements including Aba Saalaja, Aba Paanu, and Aba Arogunmatidi.
Other major seizures were recorded across the country. In Port Harcourt, 550,000 pills of tramadol were intercepted on September 2, while 305 kilograms of cannabis were recovered from a vehicle along the Toro-Jos road, Kaduna, on September 6. Several suspects were also arrested in connection with drug trafficking, including Bala Musa and Danladi Muhammad, who were caught transporting cannabis in a hidden compartment of their vehicle.
The NDLEA’s nationwide operations extended to Jigawa, Kogi, Borno, Kano, and Taraba States, where significant quantities of tramadol, cannabis, and codeine were seized. In Osun State, a raid on the home of a drug kingpin, Mayowa Abayomi Awe (a.k.a. Bishop), resulted in the seizure of crack cocaine, methamphetamine, cannabis, and a locally made pistol.
The agency also continued its *War Against Drug Abuse* (WADA) sensitization efforts, holding lectures and outreach programs in schools, workplaces, and communities across several states, including Kano, Edo, Osun, and Ebonyi.
Marwa praised the officers for their dedication, stating, “Your efforts are deeply appreciated. We must continue to be relentless in our war against drug abuse and trafficking across the country.”