ENUGU, Nigeria (VOICE OF NAIJA)- The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) says its operatives have intercepted consignments of illicit drugs ingeniously concealed in frozen snails, electrical bulbs, and female clothes.
According to the agency, the shipments were destined for the United States, the United Kingdom, and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
This was revealed in a statement issued on Sunday by Femi Babafemi, NDLEA’s Director of Media and Advocacy, who disclosed that the interceptions took place at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) and a courier company in Lagos.
Babafemi stated that two suspects connected to the trafficking attempts had been arrested. He identified one of them as Boladale Riliwan, a cargo agent apprehended on October 7 after 15 parcels of skunk were found hidden in 10 giant rechargeable electrical bulbs prepared for shipment to the DRC.
He also identified another suspect, Olawale Oyebola Hakeemot, a 48-year-old UK-based Public Health Assistant, who was arrested on October 12 at the departure hall of Terminal 2, MMIA, Ikeja.
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According to the NDLEA, operatives discovered 2,300 pills of Tramadol 225mg concealed in frozen snails inside her luggage as she attempted to board a Qatar Airways flight to Manchester, United Kingdom.
The statement added that NDLEA officers also foiled another attempt by a syndicate to export 810 pills of bromazepam concealed in female clothes to the United States through a courier company in Lagos on October 16.
In Adamawa State, Babafemi said operatives arrested Bello Buba at an NDLEA checkpoint in Namtari, Yola South Local Government Area, after 38,270 pills of tramadol were found concealed in a spare tyre, boot, and door compartments of his Honda Civic.
He noted that the suspect had driven from Benin Republic to smuggle the drugs into Nigeria.
The NDLEA also reported the destruction of 53,250 kilograms of skunk cultivated on 21.3 hectares of cannabis farmland in Ilawe Ekiti, Ekiti State, between October 12 and 13.
Operatives recovered 70 bags of skunk weighing 1,140 kilograms and arrested three suspects identified as Matthew Emmanuel (26), James Moses (27), and Israel Samuel (20).
Babafemi said the operation followed another destruction of 17,400 kilograms of skunk on 6.96 hectares of farmland in Aponmu Forest Reserve, Akure, Ondo State, on October 12.
In Oyo State, NDLEA operatives arrested Aliyu Muhammed (50), Babarinde Segun (32), Ogunbiyi Sanjo (30), and Ajani Oluro (30) with 596 kilograms of skunk at Apata-Ako, Igboora.
Similarly, Jacob Afolabi (30) and Salako Oluwatobi (25) were apprehended with 273 kilograms of the same substance at Odo-Oyan, Igangan, on October 16.
In Ogun State, Joseph Andrew was arrested with 88 kilograms of skunk at Ona-Imeko on October 15, while Festus Udoh (42) was caught with 13,000 pills of opioids along the Onitsha-Owerri Road in Imo State.
According to the agency, 74.5 kilograms of skunk were recovered from the store of Joseph Chukwujamaa at Umuogbo-Agu Village, Enugu State, on October 18.
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In Lagos, operatives also recovered 11 bags of skunk weighing 117 kilograms from the base of Ramoni Olukowi in Mushin on October 18.
Additionally, during a joint operation with the Nigeria Customs Service and other security agencies at Apapa Port on October 14, NDLEA operatives intercepted 80,000 bottles of codeine-based syrup in a container that had been watch-listed by the agency.
Babafemi added that the NDLEA continued its War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) sensitisation campaigns across schools, workplaces, worship centres, and communities nationwide.
Participating institutions included Commercial Grammar School, Igogo Ekiti; Government Technical College, Ahoada, Rivers; Junior Secondary Smart School, Kasarawa, Katsina; and St. Peter’s College, Olomore, Abeokuta, Ogun State, among others.
The NDLEA Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Brigadier General Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), commended officers across the affected commands for their arrests, seizures, and diligence.
He urged them to sustain their “balanced approach” in the agency’s ongoing drug control efforts.