NDLEA seizes opioids worth N22.7bn in Lekki, Onne seaports

Abdullateef Fowewe

In a new wave of interdiction operations targeting transnational drug cartels, operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, MMIA Ikeja Lagos have arrested a Thailand returnee, Oguejiofor Simonpeter, for importing 13.30 kilograms of heroin worth over N3.192billion.

This was just as their counterparts at three seaports intercepted large consignments of opioids with a combined monetary value of N22.74bn.

According to a statement on Sunday by NDLEA Director, Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, 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, had left Thailand on October 3, on a 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.

The statement reads in part, “After arriving in Lagos on the 5th of October, he contacted the airline to reroute his luggage to Nigeria so that he can pick them up as rush bags in a bit to beat security checks. However, NDLEA officers intercepted him at the point of exit. A search of his two suitcases revealed three empty backpacks in each box with a large parcel of heroin neatly sewn to all 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).”

Babafemi stated that the illicit consignments were seized from containers watched and listed by NDLEA based on intelligence and processed for 100 per cent joint examination with men of the Nigeria Customs and other security agencies at the three seaports between Monday 7th and Friday, October 11, 2024.

“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, Brig. Gen. 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,” Babafemi added.