… Intercepts N22.7bn opioids at Lekki, Apapa, Onne seaports
By Emeka Okoroanyanwu
In a renewed vigor to stamp out the importation of illicit drugs into the country, the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA has in a fresh wave of interdiction operations targeting transnational drug cartels, arrested at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport a Thailand returnee, Oguejiofor Nnaemeka Simonpeter, for importing 13.30 kilograms of heroin worth over N3.192billion.
This is even as the Agency in other wider operations at three seaports, Lekki, Onne and Apapa have intercepted large consignments of opioids with a combined monetary value of N22.740 billion, (Twenty Two Billion Seven Hundred and Forty Million Nine Hundred and Fifty Eight Thousand Naira.
NDLEA’s Director of Media and Advocacy, Mr Femi Babafemi in a press release on Sunday said Oguejiofor was arrested on Monday October 7, 2024 while attempting to smuggle out of the airport the illicit drug concealed in six backpacks and then packed into two big suitcases.
The 29-year-old graduate of Mechanical Engineering from the Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University, Uli, Anambra state, was said to have left Thailand on October 3, on Qatar Airways flight and stopped over in Doha where he spent two days before heading to Lagos while his luggage was routed to Accra, Ghana, his original destination.
After arriving Lagos on October, 5, Oguejiofor contacted the airline to reroute his luggage to Nigeria so he could pick them up as rush bags in a bit to beat security checks.
However, NDLEA officers intercepted him at the point of exit.
Babafemi said a search of his two suitcases revealed three empty backpacks in each box with a large parcel of heroin neatly sewn to all the six backpacks.
The six parcels were subsequently recovered with a gross weight of 13.30kg.
In his statement, Oguejiofor claimed he was hired for a fee of $7,000 upon successful delivery of the parcels. He said he was to deliver two parcels in Lagos and the other four parcels in Accra, Ghana.
Meanwhile, a total of Thirty Two Million Six Hundred and Seven Thousand Nine Hundred (32,607,900) pills of tramadol worth over Twelve Billion Five Hundred and Seventy Seven Million Naira (N12,577,000,000) and One Million Four Hundred and Fifty One Thousand Nine Hundred and Ninety Four (1,451,994) bottles of codeine-based syrup with a street value of Ten Billion One Hundred and Sixty Three Million Nine Hundred and Fifty Eight Thousand Naira (N10,163,958,000) have been intercepted at the Lekki Deep Seaport, Apapa seaport in Lagos and Port Harcourt Port Complex, Onne, Rivers state.
The combined monetary value of the seized opioids comes to Twenty-Two Billion Seven Hundred and Forty Million Nine Hundred and Fifty-Eight Thousand Naira (N22,740,958,000).
The illicit consignments were seized from containers watch listed by NDLEA based on intelligence and processed for 100 percent joint examination with men of the Nigeria Customs and other security agencies at the three seaports between Monday 7th and Friday 11th October 2024.
Also the NDLEA operatives in Anambra State on Saturday October 12, arrested a suspect, Okelue Chidera, 29, with 50,000 tablets of tramadol 200mg at Upper Iweka, Onitsha. Also, in Edo state, operatives raided a cannabis transit and loading point at Aviose, Owan West LGA where 70 bags of the psychoactive substance weighing 1,050kg were recovered, while a suspect Monday Akele, 38, was arrested on Friday 11th October in another raid at Owan Village, Ovia North East L GA where 110kg of same substance was seized.
Babafemi noted that the Agency has with vigour across the country, continued its War Against Drug Abuse, WADA, sensitization activities to schools, worship centres, work places and communities among others in the past week.
These include activities he said include, WADA enlightenment lecture to students and staff of Sacred Heart Girls International Secondary School, Calabar, Cross River; students and teachers of Methodist Girls High School, Utu/Ikpe, Ikot Ekpene, Akwa Ibom; students and staff of Federal Government Girls Secondary School, Bida, Niger state; students and teachers of Ekunle High School, Iseyin, Oyo state; students and teachers of St. Theresa Secondary School, Abakaliki, Ebonyi; students and teachers of Joy Primary and Secondary School, Idogbo, Benin city, Edo state.
Also included in its enlightenment activities are students and staff of Model Secondary School, Maitama, Abuja; and WADA advocacy visit to the founder of Afe Babalola University, Ado Ekiti, Aare Afe Babalola, among others.
While commending the officers and men of MMIA, Lekki seaport, Apapa, PHPC, Anambra, and Edo Commands of the Agency for the arrests and seizures, Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brigadier General Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd) stated that their operational successes and those of their compatriots across the country especially their balanced approach to drug supply reduction and drug demand reduction efforts are well appreciated by the Agency.