The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, Kano State Command, says it has arrested a 29-year-old male suspect with 7,000 suspected capsules of Tramadol.
The Command’s Public Relations Officer, Mr Sadiq Muhammad-Maigatari, disclosed this in a statement on Monday in Kano.
Muhammad-Maigatari said that the suspect was arrested on Saturday by operatives attached to the Kiru Area Command along Zaria-Kano Road, Kwanar Dangora area, while coming from Lagos with a substantial cache of Tramadol capsules.
He explained that the drugs, weighing 4.1 kilograms, were concealed in a 20-litre oil jerrycan and described the arrest as a breakthrough in the fight against substance abuse in the state.
According to him, the NDLEA operatives demonstrated professionalism and expertise in detecting the concealed drugs.
“It underscores the agency’s unwavering commitment to disrupting the supply chain of illicit substances and ensuring community safety.”
The state NDLEA Commander, Mr Abubakar Idris-Ahmad, commended the operatives for their diligence.
”The NDLEA in Kano State remains resolute in its mission to rid the state of illicit substances and appreciates the collaboration and support of the public in achieving this goal,” he said.
Justice Mashkur Salisu of a Federal High Court Sitting in Osogbo, has sentenced a traveller, Nwoke Ifeanyi to a two-year jail term for illegal possession of 600 grams of tramadol.
Ifeanyi was arraigned on 15th May, and he admitted to the offence of illegal possession of the drug.
Arraigning Ifeanyi, the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, Prosecutor, Mr Olufemi Ijimakin, said the convict was arrested along the Gbongan-Ibadan expressway with 1,010 capsules weighing 600 grams of tramadol, contrary to the provision of Section 19 of the NDLEA Act, 2004.
The Counsel to the convict, Mr. Alfred Adegoke, pleaded with the court to be merciful with his client, noting that he had promised to turn a new leaf.
In his Judgment, Justice Salisu explained that the confessional statement of Ifeanyi and his admittance of guilt alongside other pieces of evidence tendered by the prosecutor were enough to find him guilty.
Justice Salisu stressed that Section19 of the NDLEA Act, 2004 under which Ifeanyi was convicted provided for a minimum of 15 years sentence, but considering the plea of the counsel, the convict would be sentenced to two years imprisonment with effect from the date of arrest on 4th April, 2024.
As notorious drug kingpin bags 7 years imprisonment
Desperate attempts by the tramadol drug cartel to smuggle into Nigeria over Two Million Four Hundred and Sixty-Five Thousand (2, 465, 000) tablets of the pharmaceutical opioid in 225mg and 250mg, weighing Two Thousand, Three Hundred and Fifty Six kilograms (2,356kgs) with an estimated street value of One Billion, Forty Million Naira (N1, 040, 000, 000) through the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, MMIA, Ikeja Lagos have been foiled by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA.
Femi Babafemi, the Director, Media & Advocacy of NDLEA who made this known in a statement on Sunday, said the seizure of the drug on Friday 7th October came barely a week after about 13.5million pills of the same opioid worth over N8.8billion were recovered by NDLEA operatives from one of the mansions of a billionaire drug baron in the highbrow residential estate, Victoria Garden City, VGC, Lekki Lagos.
Following credible intelligence, the Agency had shown interest in the consignment of 52 cartons that came into Nigeria from Karachi, Pakistan with six different airway bills via Ethiopian Airline flight, comprising seven cartons of 250mg of a brand called tamral and 45 cartons of 225mg, branded as tramaking.
Soon after its arrival at the Lagos airport, the NDLEA called for a joint examination of the consignment with other stakeholders and after its information was confirmed by all, the 52 cartons of the seized substance which are above the recommended threshold for medical use and banned in the country, were moved to the Agencys facility.
In the same vein, another bid to export through the airport 15 parcels of cannabis and 600grams of tramadol 225mg concealed in a sack of crayfish to Dubai, UAE was equally thwarted by operatives who seized the consignment and subsequently arrested a freight agent, Osahor Alex Ekwueme, who presented it for export.
Weeks after NDLEA operatives intercepted 5.20kgs of cannabis concealed in kegs of palm oil going to Dubai at the NAHCO export shed of the airport, the brain behind the consignment, Ifeanyi Egbuwaohia, has been arrested in Igando area of Lagos. Though Ifeanyi works as a technician at Computer Village, Ikeja but beneath his known business he also works with a drug network in Dubai, where he sends illicit drugs for distribution. Few hours after his arrest, another consignment of 2.60kgs of the same substance sent by him for export to Dubai was also intercepted by operatives at the airport.
Another consignment of 1.30kgs of cannabis concealed in reconstructed engine blocks going to Dubai have also been seized at the SAHCO export shed while two persons: Olatunji Kehinde Temiola and Osemojoye Femi Sunday have been arrested in connection to the bid.
Meanwhile, In Kaduna state, a female drug dealer, Peace Ayuba, was on Friday 7th October arrested at Kakau Gonin Gora with seventy eight (78) bags of cannabis sativa weighing 849.5kgs, while operatives in Sokoto state arrested Onyeka Owo, 28, with 443 bottles of codeine based syrup.
Ten months after his arrest by NDLEA, a notorious drug dealer in Alaba Rago area of Ojo, Lagos, Alhaji Surajo Mohammed has been convicted and sentenced to seven years imprisonment by a Federal High Court in Lagos presided over by Justice Yellin Dogoro. Surajo was arrested with 941.15kgs cannabis on Monday 20th December 2021 and arraigned in court in charge number FHC/L/370c/2021. In his judgment delivered on Thursday 6th October 2022, the Judge however gave the convict an option of seven million naira fine.
While commending the officers and men of the MMIA, Kaduna, Sokoto and Lagos commands for the feats, Chairman/Chief Executive of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Retd) urged them and their compatriots across the country to remain steadfast, resolute and unrelenting until the last gram of illicit drugs is taken away from the streets of Nigeria.
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, has busted a mansion in the Lekki area of Lagos State where Tramadol was stored.
NDLEA Spokesman, Femi Babafemi, in a terse statement on Monday, said the mansion belonged to a drug baron who is now in custody.
He said the agency recovered 13 million pills of Tramadol 225mg from the mansion.
“Another VGC drug bust! As massive and beautiful as this mansion located in highbrow VGC Lekki Lagos (pictured here) looks, it’s not occupied by humans but used to warehouse over 13 million pills of Tramadol 225mg by another billionaire drug baron now in the custody of @ndlea_nigeria.”
Details coming in a statement shortly,” he said.
This comes days after the agency busted a warehouse in the Ikorodu area of the state where cocaine was stored.
A 53-year-old man with a disability, Ehiarimwiam Osaromo Emmanuel, has been arrested by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, at the departure hall of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja Lagos for drug trafficking.
Ehiarimwiam was arrested on Sunday 28th August on his way to Italy, via Doha on a Qatar Airways flight and found to have concealed 5,000 tablets of Tramadol 225mg in his luggage.
Preliminary investigation as contained in a statement by the NDLEA spokesman, Femi Babafemi reveals that the suspect is a frequent traveller who often travels with lots of bags containing mainly food items, body cream, hair attachment and drinks.
According to the statement, the suspect was said to have presented his usual large consignment to NDLEA operatives for search but held on to some packages, which were retrieved from him and properly searched during which the drugs were discovered.
crystal methamphetamine
Mr Babafemi also said, as part of ongoing efforts to demobilise and dismantle all organised criminal groups behind the production and distribution of crystal methamphetamine across the country, NDLEA operatives on Monday 29th August raided a suspected clandestine laboratory at Opic estate, Agbara, Lagos.
Clues from the property led operatives to another in the vicinity where one Peter James was apprehended with some quantity of the substance and a follow up operation within the estate also led to the arrest of a meth dealer, Mathew Bobby Imonitie, who was caught with 4.033kilograms of the illicit substance.
Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, have seized over 1.9 million tablets of Tramadol and Codeine imported into the country from Pakistan and United Kingdom through the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, MMIA, Ikeja Lagos.
Of the total seizures, 40 cartons of Co-Codamol, a brand of paracetamol with Codeine, which is classified as Opioid, were seized from a freight agent, Eraikhueme Ehis.
According to the NDLEA Director, Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, the seizure which was made on Thursday, March 10, translates to 349, 800 tablets weighing 336kg.
Mr Babafemi explained that the consignment came from London, UK as a consolidated cargo through the SAHCO Import Shed of the airport.
The consolidated cargo was declared as personal effects but was discovered to contain some medications.
In the same vein, no less than 1,584,000 tablets of Tramadol were recovered on Tuesday 15th March by NDLEA operatives in collaboration with Aviation Security (AVSEC) and Customs service personnel at the airport.
The seizure includes 17 cartons of 250mg Tramadol branded as “Tamra” weighing 669.70kg and five cartons of 225mg Tramadol under the brand name “Royal” with a gross weight of 217.15kg.
The psychotropic substance, which was imported into the country from Pakistan was smuggled through the airport tarmac using one of the vehicles of the Skyway Aviation Handling Company (SAHCO) and was intercepted at the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) Personnel Yard.
Tramadol Bust: Multiple arrests in follow up operations
Two suspects: Ofijeh John Mova, a SAHCO driver and Nyam Gazu Alex who is a security guard with the Nigerian Aviation Handling Company (NAHCO) have so far been arrested in connection with the seizure.
The previous day, Monday 14th March, a total of 2,160 tablets of Co-codamol weighing 1.95kg and 240 tablets of Tramadol were also intercepted in a consolidated cargo from the UK at the SAHCO import shed of the airport.
Follow up operations led to the arrest of the importer of the consignment, Omonijo Temidayo the following day Tuesday 15th March.
Similarly, follow up operations have also led to the arrest of Hajiya Mariam Saliu in Edo state on Monday 14th March after investigations uncovered her as the brain behind an attempt to export 1.55kg cannabis to Dubai through the Lagos airport on 5th March.
NDLEA Officers Nab Drug Smugglers At Land Border
Meanwhile, NDLEA operatives have arrested one of the kingpins behind the attempt to smuggle 11.93 kilograms of Cocaine to Accra, Ghana through the Seme land border, Lagos.
The 50-year-old suspect, Oyewunmi Ademola Ahmed was arrested on Tuesday 15th March at Mile 2 area of Lagos after a series of follow up operations following the arrest of a driver, Osagie Anthony with the 11.913kg cocaine at Gbaji, Seme-Badagry expressway on January 23.
In Kwara State, a drug dealer, Hope John, 30, was arrested on Saturday 19th March at Goodness Area of Offa with different quantities of cannabis, methamphetamine, designer drug and cocaine.
The upsurge in the use of hard drugs remains a source of concern globally because of its effect on users, their families and loved ones.
In this report, Labizat Oduntan looks at the growing use of hard drugs among teenagers in the country.
Last year, a video went viral showing a young man drenched by dirty water as he rolled about in drainage.
It was the outcome of taking a hard drug with the street name “Colorado”.
Other illicit substances and drugs in common use include cocaine, heroin, cannabis, tramadol, codeine and diazepam.
A 2021 report by Statista indicates that over 270 million people engage in substance abuse globally.
In Nigeria, a study reveals that a lot of commercial bus drivers, farmers, sex workers, secondary school students who are obviously in their teens and undergraduates are on hard drugs.
A 2021 statistic by National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, buttresses the study, showing that forty per cent of youths within the age range of 18 and 25 years are deeply involved in the abuse of drugs.
Ready sources include drug markets, hawkers, fellow drug abusers, friends and drug pushers.
Two youths in Ibadan expressed their views on the use of drugs among their peers.
“Such youths became disoriented such that at that period he/she may not know who they are, it is not a necessary thing to take hard drugs because it will not solve the problem.”
While another youth recounted the experience of a friend who got entangled in the web of illicit substances.
“I am citing an example of a friend of mine who was under the influence of codeine. He wasn’t about to enjoy himself for like 40-45mins. He was so unconscious and started acting strange.”
A medical doctor, Olanrewaju Shomoye who said illicit substances use was prevalent among young people, highlights their injurious effects and equally outlined other impacts besides mental and bodily harm.
“It affects the way one thinks, feels and behave generally, also affects the way other people the abuser, sometimes they become depressed.”
“It affects their finances. They are not able to keep money, they spend too much money especially people on crack cocaine. They will need to do a lot of things to get money. Sometimes they go into stealing sometimes they go into robbery.”
Dr Shomoye pointed out that medical lifelines such as psycho-social methods exist for people who fall prey to hard drugs.
National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, Oyo State Command has arrested ninety-five suspects for various drug offences from January to March this year.
NDLEA Commander in Oyo State, Mrs Josephine Obi, who disclosed this to newsmen in Ibadan, said the drugs caught with the suspects included sativa, tramadol, diazepam, cocaine, codeine and rohypnol.
Mrs Obi said the Command also recorded the seizure of 580.4024kg of cannabis and other narcotics and psychotropic substances worth over twelve million naira.
She stated further that during the period under review from January to March this year, nineteen defendants were convicted for various drug offences while five clients are presently under rehabilitation at the Command’s residential rehabilitation centre.
The NDLEA boss in Oyo State noted that sensitization programmes to schools are ongoing and urged schools management and other organizations to give officers platforms to enlighten the students.
Mrs Obi therefore encouraged those whose children and wards are involved in drug abuse not to give up on them but rather to bring them to the NDLEA office for proper rehabilitation.
The NDLEA State Commander stated further that reducing drug trafficking and abuse would go a long way in reducing crimes and insecurity in the state.
She thereby called on members of the public to give the Command necessary support to stop the menace that hard drugs constitute, especially by volunteering credible information on drug dealers in their environment to make Oyo State drug-free.
National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, says it has arrested thirty-seven suspected drug dealers in Oyo State in the 3rd quarter of this year.
This is contained in a statement in Ibadan signs in Ibadan by the NDLEA Public Relations Officer, PRO, Mrs Mutiat Okuwobi.
The statement notes that the suspects were arrested various drugs which include Cannabis Sativa, Tramadol, Diazepam, Rohypnol, Colorado, Codeine and other psychotropic substances.
The command also recorded the seizure of over three thousand kilograms of Cannabis Sativa and other narcotics and psychotropic substances during the period under review.
NDLEA Commander in Oyo State, Mrs Josephine Obi says the command had begun investigation on the seizure of a lorry load of compressed cannabis weighing 2060.7kg transferred by the Nigeria Custom Services, Oyo/Osun Command.
The Oyo NDLEA boss states further that two Cannabis sativa farms measuring 0.215380 hectares and 0.06400 hectares were also destroyed at Ajani Village in Ona-Ara Local Government Area of the state.
Mrs Obi notes that the command also gave brief intervention via counseling to forty-nine drugs users and rehabilitated six persons who were integrated back to the society.
She said recovery of cannabis-infused foods and beverages is of great concern and calls for greater vigilance by parents and guardians to prevent their children and wards from becoming drug dependent.
The Oyo State NDLEA Commander, therefore, advises the general public to be watchful and give necessary and timely information in order to rid the state of illicit drug abuse and trafficking.
