By Seun Ibiyemi
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested a 55-year-old Lagos trader, Onuigbo Ndubisi Chinedu, for allegedly attempting to smuggle 3.30 kilograms of cocaine concealed in cartons of food items destined for the United Kingdom, as the agency intensified its crackdown on drug trafficking across the country.
The suspect, a clothing trader at Balogun Market on Lagos Island, was arrested on Thursday, July 23, after NDLEA operatives intercepted the cocaine consignment at the export shed of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos, a day earlier.
According to the agency, investigations initially led to the arrest of three cargo agents—Nkwor Onyekachukwu Justina, Adeleke Abiola Taoheed and Ukanwa Grace Pilgrim—who handled the shipment.
The agency said the arrest of the cargo agents resulted in the apprehension of Kenneth Okakpu, who delivered the consignment, before investigators traced the operation to Onuigbo, identified as the alleged mastermind of the trafficking syndicate.
NDLEA said the suspect was arrested while allegedly attempting to dispatch another cocaine shipment to the UK.
In a separate operation, operatives arrested a 31-year-old entrepreneur, Emmanuella Chukwu-Edo, at her Surulere residence after intercepting a parcel containing 2.80kg of “Loud,” a synthetic strain of cannabis, which arrived from the United States on a United Airlines flight.
The agency also recorded one of its largest pharmaceutical seizures after a joint examination at the Lagos airport uncovered 2.24 million pills of Tapentadol 250mg, estimated to have a street value of more than ₦2.2 billion.
The consignment, which arrived from India aboard an Air Maroc flight, was intercepted following intelligence gathering by NDLEA.
In another operation, officials discovered a shipment of tramadol concealed inside containers of black soap at a Lagos courier company, with the package intended for export to the United Kingdom.
At the Apapa Seaport, a joint examination uncovered 4,777 sachets of Canadian Loud weighing 2,388.5kg hidden inside three vehicles in a container.
NDLEA estimated the street value of the seizure at over ₦7.1 billion.
Beyond drug-related operations, the agency said its operatives intercepted illegal ammunition in Katsina and Kaduna states.
In Katsina, officers arrested 30-year-old Mustapha Sani with 323 rounds of military-grade ammunition, while another suspect, Abubakar Amadu, was apprehended along the Abuja-Kaduna Expressway with 73 rounds of 7.62mm ammunition concealed inside jerricans of red palm oil.
The two suspects have since been handed over to relevant security agencies for further investigation.
Meanwhile, in Edo State, NDLEA operatives raided a warehouse in Ilushi community, Esan South East Local Government Area, where they recovered 1,286kg of cannabis and 86kg of cannabis seeds.
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The agency also arrested Ojore Onweze with 60kg of skunk and George Agwumede with 13kg of the same substance.
Aside from enforcement operations, NDLEA said it continued its War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) sensitisation campaign across schools, communities, workplaces and religious centres in several states, including Niger, Kano and Lagos.
Commending officers involved in the operations across the Directorate of Operations and General Investigation (DOGI), MMIA, Apapa, Edo, Kaduna and Katsina commands, NDLEA Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Brig.-Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd.), urged personnel to sustain the momentum while maintaining a balanced approach to drug supply reduction and public education.
