Opioids worth N4.8billion were, again, seized by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) at a warehouse inside the popular International Trade Fair Complex, Alaba, Ojo, Lagos, on Saturday.
Recovered from the warehouse owned by a wanted billionaire drug baron were 1.4 million pills of tramadol 225mg weighing 826kgs; 3.2 million pills of codeine with gross weight of 3,360kgs.
Also recovered were 2,841 cartons of codeine syrup containing 284,100 bottles with 28,410 litres of the psychoactive substance.
All the illicit drugs recovered from the warehouse have a combined street value of N4,820,500,000 only, NDLEA stated in a release by its Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi.
“During the operation that lasted hours, a suspect, Paulinus Ojukwu, who is Chief Security Officer to the wanted drug baron who parades as automobile spare parts dealer, was arrested and now assisting ongoing investigation,” it was stated.
The latest drug warehouse bust is coming on the heels of the arrest of a drug baroness, Faith Ebele Nwankwo, who was nabbed at her residence at House 6, C close, 3rd Avenue, Festac area of Lagos on 9 August.
Two Million Seven Hundred and Fifty Thousand pills of tramaking, a brand of tramadol 225mg and 250mg, were recovered from her house and a warehouse located at Plot 3432 Sola Akinsola Street, Divine Estate, Amuwo Odofin, Lagos.
“Meanwhile, NDLEA operatives, on Friday, intercepted $20 million suspected to be counterfeit during a stop and search operation along Abaji-Lokoja Road, within the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
“The suspected fake money was recovered from a bus coming from Lagos to Abuja, while the 53-year-old driver of the vehicle, Onyebuchi Nlebedin, was arrested,” it has been disclosed.
The previous day, Jude Ndubuisi (52) was arrested with 2.2 kilograms of methamphetamine during a raid operation at Kabusa Village, FCT.
“The suspect was initially arrested with 20.75kg cannabis on 7 July, 2022 and was on court bail following his ongoing prosecution when he was nabbed for yet another drug crime,” Babafemi stated.
Another raid of two notorious drug joints within the FCT: Dei Dei and Tora-Bora Hills led to the recovery of 82.8kg skunk, 1.8kg rohypnol and 1.2kg diazepam on Wednesday.
NDLEA operatives, in the early hours of Saturday, destroyed clusters of cannabis farms measuring about 3.49000 hectares (over 7.5 tons) at Mopatedo in Ifedayo Local Government Area of Osun State.
“Two suspects, Sunday Otogbo (40), and Peter Andel Makra (35), were arrested inside the cannabis farms. Additional 30kg cannabis weeds and 16.9kg of cannabis seeds were also recovered from the farms,” it was stated in the release.
Three suspects, Ndubuisi Okorie (44); Ebilima Emmanuel (38) and Okechukwu Anthony Smart (40), were arrested in connection with the seizure of 168kg cannabis consignment.
“The consignment was seized from them when their vehicle was intercepted along Owerri-Onitsha expressway, Imo State, on Saturday.
“Another shipment of controlled drugs containing 6,000 capsules of tramadol, 1,200 tablets of swinol, 155 bottles of codeine syrup and 20 tabs of molly was equally seized on the same road, last Sunday.
“A follow-up operation in Oyigbo area of Port Harcourt, Rivers State led to the arrest of the owner of the consignment, Remigius Ogechukwu, (33),” it was added.
A teenager, Boniface Odinakachukwu (19), was apprehended with 99.4kg skunk at Isikwe Road, Achi in Oji-River Local Government Area, Enugu State, last Friday.
Similarly, a wanted teenage bandit, Aliyu Mohammed Altine (19), was arrested by NDLEA operatives along Illela-Sokoto Road with some wraps of skunk, last Thursday.
“The suspect, who is on the wanted list of the police, has since been transferred to the police in Sokoto State for further investigation,” it was stated in the release.
Chairman/CEO of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (rtd), has expressed satisfaction with the professional conduct of the officers and men involved in the Lagos, FCT, Sokoto, Osun, Imo and Enugu operations.
He also appreciated the results of the raids and charged operatives of the Lagos Command to ensure that the fleeing baron is smoked out from his hiding to face charges.
The NDLEA boss urged them and their colleagues across the country to intensify the heat on drug cartels, Babafemi added in the release.
