Shrine turns cannabis haven: NDLEA recovers 2,760kg, arrests 3

Stanley Ihedigbo

In a daring operation, operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) raided a notorious shrine in Lagos, uncovering a massive stash of cannabis.

The raid, which took place on Friday, October 25, targeted the Igbo-Igunuko shrine at Alfa Beach, Ajah. NDLEA agents recovered 2,760 kilograms of Ghanaian Loud, a potent strain of cannabis, hidden in jumbo bags.

Two suspects, Gbenga Abiodun and Sunday Abiodun, were apprehended at the shrine. Another suspect, Ademola Oyelakin, was arrested the same day along the Lagos-Ibadan expressway with 770 kilograms of the same substance.

The successful operation marks a significant blow to cannabis trafficking in Lagos and demonstrates NDLEA’s commitment to disrupting illicit drug networks.

Also the agency operatives intercepted consignments of opioids concealed in soles of shoes and hair attachments heading to the United States, United Kingdom, as well as and Cyprus.

According to the Director, Media & Advocacy, NDLEA Abuja, Mr. Femi Babafemi, a total of 2,118 pills of tramadol concealed in soles of 13 pairs of shoes going to Cyprus were seized at the export shed of the Lagos airport on 12th October 2024, and an additional 380 tablets recovered from the home of the sender, Okenwa Kelvin Uchenna, during a follow-up operation in Enugu on Thursday 24th October.

A cash of N968,880 and a Toyota Avalon car marked UWN 389 AS, were also recovered from the suspect at the time of his arrest.

Not less than 293 ampoules of promethazine and pentazocine injection as well as 1.690kg cannabis and tramadol tablets concealed in hair attachments and soles of shoes going to the United States, United Kingdom, and Oman were intercepted at three courier firms by NDLEA officers of the Directorate of Operations and General Investigation, DOGI, in Lagos on Thursday 24th October.

In the same vein, a total of  26,250,000 pills of tramadol,, as well as 508,400 bottles of codeine-based syrup worth N16, 683, 800,000 in street value were intercepted by NDLEA operatives during 100 percent joint examination of watch-listed containers with men of Customs Service and other security agencies at the Tincan port in Lagos and Port Harcourt port, Onne, Rivers state between Tuesday 22nd and Wednesday 23rd October.

Other illicit consignments intercepted during the joint inspection of the containers include 10 million tablets of Toradol Benzhexol and 28 plastic drums of methamphetamine weighing 700kg at Tincan and Onne respectively, while 56 parcels of Loud, a synthetic strain of cannabis weighing 28kg were also recovered from a container that arrived the Lagos port from Canada.

A suspect, Tsolaye Eburajolo, 40, was arrested at Ago Palace area of Okota Lagos in connection with the cannabis seizure while a bribe of a million paid to NDLEA officers to free the suspect has been kept as part of the exhibits for the prosecution of the case.

A total of 11,786 pills of tramadol, molly, Rohypnol, and diazepam, as well as 64 bottles of codeine syrup, were recovered from the underground storage a suspect, Muhammad Warnos Abdullahi, dug in his bedroom at Marwa Coastal Road, Lekki Phase 1 Lagos when NDLEA officers raided his home on Friday 25th October.

The suspect dug the illicit drug storage deep in his room, covered it with padlocked iron slate and a rug, and then put his mattress on top to avoid detection.

In Plateau, a suspect Fadan Bindom, 39, was arrested at Pilgani village in possession of 65.85kg cannabis and 18 grams of tramadol, while another suspect Sunday Agbata, 42, was nabbed at Pavwei – Rayfield Jos South LGA with 5,830 tablets and ampoules of bromazepam, diazepam and pentazocine injection on Wednesday 23rd October.

A major distributor of illicit drugs in FCT Abuja, Umar Muhammed, 40, was on Monday, 21st October nabbed, following the earlier seizure of a consignment of 198.5kg cannabis linked to him at Wuse Market Park.

In Edo state, NDLEA operatives recovered 640kg cannabis concealed in 80 jumbo bags of fresh vegetables at Ewu junction, Irrua, Esan Central LGA, and arrested a suspect, Austin Oruamen, 27, while another suspect Adereti Kazeem, 35, was nabbed with 200 blocks of cannabis weighing 133kg at Obalayan, Ile-Ife, Osun state on Thursday 24th October.

With the same vigour, Commands and formations of the Agency across the country continued their War Against Drug Abuse (WADA), sensitization activities to schools, worship centres, work places and communities among others in the past week.

These include WADA sensitisation lecture to students and staff of Government Girls Secondary School, Tambuwal, Sokoto; St. Mary College, Awka, Anambra state; Prime Rose Model Private College, Saki, Oyo state; Community Model Arabic College, Malumfashi, Katsina state; Community Junior Secondary School, Rumuomasi, Rivers State; and WADA advocacy lecture to Rugar Alhaji Manu Unguwan Sullubawa, Gombi, Adamawa state, among others.

While commending the officers and men of MMIA, Tincan, PHPC, Lagos, FCT, Osun, Plateau, and Edo Commands of the Agency, as well as those of DOGI, 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.