NDLEA intercepts N14.9bn opioids, arrests suspects

Abdullateef Fowewe

The operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, have intercepted a total of 25,000,000.00 pills of tapentadol, an opioid three times stronger than tramadol and 350,000 bottles of codeine-based syrup at the Tincan port complex in Lagos.

According to a statement on Sunday by the NDLEA, Director, Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, the seizures were made on Tuesday 17th and Friday 20th September 2024 from three containers which had been on the watchlist of the Agency following processed intelligence.

As a result, Babafemi said the NDLEA requested for 100% joint examination of the shipments with men of the Nigeria Customs Service and other security agencies.

The statement enunciates, “The 25 million pills of tapentadol have an estimated street value of Thirteen Billion Seven Hundred and Twenty-Five Million Naira (N13,725,000,000.00) while the codeine consignment has an estimated street value of Two Billion Four Hundred and Fifty Million Naira (N2,450,000,000.00), bringing the total value of the seizures to Fourteen Billion Nine Hundred and Fifty Million Naira (N14,950,000,000.00).

“The tapentadol consignment packed in 500 cartons was discovered in one of the containers on Tuesday 17th September while another container examined the same day contained 175,000 bottles of Barcadin cough syrup with codeine packed in 875 cartons. The third container containing 175,000 bottles of CSC cough syrup with codeine was examined on Friday 20th September.”

Meanwhile, operatives of the Lagos State Strategic Command of the Agency on Friday, September 20 arrested an 80-year-old grandfather, Pa Aremu Shojobi with 14 kilograms of cannabis at his home in the Iyana Ipaja area of the state.

In his statement, the Octogenarian claimed he has been in the business of selling illicit drugs for 25 years. He further claimed he gets his supplies from the Benin Republic and sells to his customers from his residence between 7 am and 10 pm every day.

In another operation, NDLEA operatives in Lagos on Wednesday 18th September raided the two homes of a community leader and Sarkin Yamma of Badagry West LCDA, Alhaji Bashir Mohammed Talba, where a total of 226kg of cannabis was recovered from his two wives and son.

Talba is currently at large, a search of his house in the Ashipa area of Seme Badagry led to the recovery of 93 compressed blocks of cannabis sativa weighing 57.6kg from his first wife, Asma’u Bashiru, 35, and son, Sadat Bashiru, 22, while another search of his house at the Aketegbo area of Seme Badagry led to the seizure of 302 compressed blocks of cannabis weighing 168.6kg from his second wife Hauwa Bashir, 42.

“No less than 720 blocks of Arizona, a strain of cannabis weighing 390kg were also recovered from a Mitsubishi delivery van marked MUS 720 XH at Ojo area of Lagos on Monday 16th September,” Babafemi confirmed.