Drug syndicates’ attempting to smuggle cocaine and Loud, a synthetic cannabis strain, through Nigeria’s Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) and courier firms have been thwarted by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA). Numerous seizures and arrests were made, highlighting the extensive smuggling network.
On July 18, 2024, businessman Abdulwahab Owolabi Alebiosu was arrested in Lekki, Lagos, after NDLEA intercepted 40 parcels of Loud weighing 20.30 kg concealed in game packs from Canada. Searches of his home and business premises led to more discoveries, including drug paraphernalia and a black truck.
At MMIA’s NAHCO export shed on July 19, NDLEA intercepted bags bound for Pakistan containing dried hibiscus and bitter leaves hiding 1.36 kg of cocaine and Loud. Businesswoman Eze Queen Ogechi was arrested, claiming her brother in South Asia instructed the shipment.
On July 18, NDLEA at MMIA Terminal II intercepted Beninese Orobi Adoubi Amen with 2.10 kg of Loud hidden in ladies’ dresses bound for Dubai. He confessed to a fee arrangement for successful delivery.
Further seizures included 4.5 kg of Loud in a Toyota RAV 4 from Canada at Tincan port, with two suspects, Dada Kole and Alaba Oladewusi, arrested. In Kebbi State, a one-legged man, Amadu Garba, was caught with 67 kg of cannabis on July 16.
In Abuja, Ademola Elusakin and Nuhu Friday Adamu were arrested with 30 kg of cannabis on July 15, claiming to supply illegal miners. In Yobe, 305 blocks of cannabis weighing 152.5 kg were seized from Sale Bukar en route to Niger Republic.
Other significant arrests occurred across Nigeria, including suspects with large cannabis quantities in states like Imo, Kogi, Plateau, Osun, Jigawa, Kaduna, and Nasarawa. Raids also recovered codeine syrup and a locally made AK-47 rifle.
The NDLEA’s War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) continued with sensitization programs in schools and communities nationwide. NDLEA Chairman, Mr. Mohamed Buba Marwa, commended the officers’ efforts and urged continued vigilance.