The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has dismantled a drug syndicate that disguised illicit substances as imported Christmas cookies and snacks, arresting two key suspects, Deji Adesanya and Olubiyi Majekodunmi, during a raid in the Lekki area of Lagos. Operatives seized five kilograms of Canadian Loud, a potent strain of cannabis, along with colourful designer sachets branded as foreign snacks and used for retail distribution via a WhatsApp network.
In another Lagos operation, NDLEA operatives arrested Philip Ucheka, 38, in Mushin on Thursday, 27 November, while he was taking delivery of 110 pouches of Canadian Loud weighing 55.6kg. Three delivery vehicles were seized. Officers also intercepted 100 grams of Loud concealed in a teddy bear imported from Thailand and 548 tramadol capsules hidden in Vitamin C bottles at separate courier companies.
Significant arrests were recorded outside Lagos as well. Along the Lagos Ibadan expressway, Wasiu Kareem, 55, was caught with thousands of doses of controlled drugs, including pentazocine injections, codeine syrup, Co-codamol tablets and tramadol capsules. A major NDLEA operation in Ipe Forest, Akoko South-East, Ondo State, also led to the arrest of seven suspects and the recovery of 3,077kg of skunk.
In extensive nationwide raids, operatives arrested Anthony Sylvester, 49, with 649kg of skunk in Kogi; Abubakar Shuaibu, 33, with 243.5kg of skunk at Seme border; and Tsalha Alasan, 47, with 137kg along the Zaria–Kano highway. Three additional suspects were arrested in Bauchi with 209kg of skunk, while John Ekojo, 51, was intercepted with 210.15kg along the Abuja–Jos road.
The Agency also uncovered arms-linked trafficking along the Abuja–Kaduna expressway, where a couple, Abdullahi Abubakar and Jamila Abdullahi, was arrested with 725 rounds of 7.62mm live ammunition concealed in a sack of maize. In a separate interception at the Abuja–Kaduna tollgate, Awwal Sabiu, 20, was caught with 400 rounds of the same ammunition, bringing the total recovered rounds to 1,125.
Meanwhile, NDLEA commands across the country continued their War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) sensitisation programmes, engaging schools, workplaces, worship centres and communities. Some of the beneficiaries included Government Junior Technical School in Kano, Bright Eyes International School in Abakaliki, dock workers at Tincan Port in Lagos, Legacy International College in Nsukka and Seatos School in Ikorodu.
NDLEA Chairman/Chief Executive, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), commended the officers for their intensified operations, urging them to maintain the Agency’s balanced and proactive drug control strategy. Femi Babafemi, Director of Media and Advocacy, said the breakthroughs demonstrate NDLEA’s unwavering resolve to “relentlessly dismantle drug networks and disrupt criminal enterprises threatening public safety and national security.”
