One of the key developments is the apprehension of a notorious drug kingpin, Obiorah Chigozie Samuel, who had been wanted by the NDLEA since September 15, 2023. Samuel was wanted for his involvement in attempting to ship illicit drug consignments to the United Kingdom.
His illegal activities were first uncovered when a shipment of 1,500 kilograms of skunk concealed in flour destined for London was intercepted at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport in Lagos, leading to the arrest of his freight agent, Nworah Adaugo Precious.
However, Samuel was later apprehended when he personally brought an additional 2,000 kilograms of skunk concealed in cartons to the same airport for shipment to the UK. During interrogation, Samuel claimed that he had previously been involved in the sale of shoes in Lagos before venturing into the illicit drug trade.
In addition to Samuel's arrest, the NDLEA has conducted successful operations across several states in Nigeria. In the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), a container truck coming from Lagos and bound for Kano was intercepted, resulting in the seizure of 1,188 kilograms of skunk hidden beneath cartons of toothpaste. The driver of the truck, Amafan Fattison, was arrested.
In Bayelsa state, NDLEA officers discovered 432 kilograms of skunk in an abandoned J5 bus along Saipem road, Opolo, Yenagoa, and the vehicle was subsequently recovered for further investigation.
In Kano, a 70-year-old man, Ado Mai Unguwa, was arrested with 143.2 kilograms of skunk in Dindere village, Tofa LGA. In Enugu, 110.6 kilograms of skunk were recovered from a locked-up shop at Aria new market.
Operatives in Lagos successfully raided the notorious Idi-Oro drug enclave in Mushin, seizing 212.5 kilograms of cannabis sativa belonging to a wanted drug lord.
In Kwara state, NDLEA officers recovered 104 kilograms of skunk from a Toyota Camry car in Offa. Meanwhile, a Chadian national, Mohammed Ibrahim, 25, was apprehended at the Mafa checkpoint in Borno state with 11.8 kilograms of the same illicit substance.
In Plateau state, the state police command transferred four suspects along with 1,978 kilograms of cannabis to the state command of NDLEA. In Cross River state, operatives seized 40,000 ampules of pentazocine injection from two suspects, Fajulugbe Adeshola Temitayo, 35, and Nnaorji Agwe Solomon, 54, in Calabar.
The NDLEA's War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) advocacy activities continued across the country during the past week, including visits, lectures, and sensitisation programs aimed at raising awareness about the dangers of drug abuse.
Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Retd), commended the officers and men of the NDLEA for their efforts in making these arrests and seizures possible. He also praised their commitment to achieving a balance between drug supply reduction and drug demand reduction, highlighting the importance of their work in addressing the drug-related challenges facing the nation.