Officers of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) recovered N4.8 billion worth of opioids in a warehouse in Lagos on Sunday, as well as intercepted $20 million in counterfeit notes in Abuja.
The officers of the NDLEA also arrested a notorious teenage bandit in Sokoto.
This was announced in a statement signed by Femi Babafemi, Director, Media and Advocacy, of the NDLEA.
According to the statement, “multi-billion naira worth of illicit drugs were again seized at a warehouse tucked in the midst of the popular International Trade Fair Complex, Alaba, Ojo area of Lagos, by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, on Saturday, August 19th.
“Recovered from the warehouse owned by a wanted billionaire drug baron, they include 1.4 million (1,400,000) pills of tramadol 225 mg weighing 826 kg; 3.2 million (3,200,000) pills of codeine with a gross weight of 3,360 kg; and 2,841 cartons of codeine syrup containing 284,100 bottles with 28,410 litres of the psychoactive substance, with a combined street value of Four Billion Eight Hundred and Twenty Million Five Hundred Thousand Naira (N4,820,500,000) only.
“During the operation that lasted hours, a suspect, Paulinus Ojukwu, who is Chief Security Officer to the wanted drug baron who parades as an automobile spare parts dealer, was arrested and is now assisting the ongoing investigation.
“The latest drug warehouse bust is coming on the heels of the arrest of a drug baroness, Faith Ebele Nwankwo, who was nabbed on Wednesday, August 9th, with two million, seven hundred and fifty thousand (2,750,000) pills of Tramaking, a brand of tramadol 225mg and 250 mg, recovered from her residence at House 6, C Close, 3rd Avenue, Festac area of Lagos, and a warehouse located at Plot 3432 Sola Akinsola Street, Divine Estate, Amuwo Odofin, Lagos.
“Meanwhile, NDLEA operatives intercepted twenty million US dollars ($20 million) suspected to be counterfeit during a stop and search operation along the Abaji-Lokoja road, within the Federal Capital Territory.
“The suspected fake money was recovered from a bus coming from Lagos to Abuja, while the 53-year-old driver of the vehicle, Onyebuchi Nlededin, was arrested. The previous day, Thursday, August 17th, Jude Ndubuisi, 52, was arrested with 2.2 kilogrammes of methamphetamine during a raid operation at Kabusa village, FCT.
“The suspect was initially arrested with 20.75kg of cannabis on July 7, 2022, and was on court bail following his ongoing prosecution when he was nabbed for yet another drug crime.
“Another raid of two notorious drug joints within the FCT: Dei Dei and Tora-Bora Hills led to the recovery of 82.8 kg of skunk, 1.8 kg of rohypnol, and 1.2 kg of diazepam on Wednesday, August 16th.
“In Osun, NDLEA operatives destroyed clusters of cannabis farms measuring about 3.49000 hectares (over 7.5 tonnes) at Mopatedo in the Ifedayo local government area of the state in the early hours of Saturday, August 19th.
“Two suspects, Sunday Otogbo, 40, and Peter Andel Makra, 35, were arrested inside the cannabis farms. An additional 30 kg of cannabis weed and 16.9kg of cannabis seeds were also recovered from the farms.
“At least three suspects: Ndubuisi Okorie, 44; Ebilima Emmanuel, 38; and Okechukwu Anthony Smart, 40, were arrested in connection with the seizure of a 168 kg cannabis consignment from them when their vehicle was intercepted along the Owerri-Onitsha motorway, Imo State, on Saturday, August 19th.
“Another shipment of controlled drugs containing 6,000 capsules of tramadol, 1,200 tablets of swinol, 155 bottles of codeine syrup, and 20 tabs of Molly was equally seized on the same road on Sunday, August 13th, while a follow-up operation in the Oyigbo area of Port Harcourt, Rivers State, led to the arrest of the owner of the consignment, Remigius Ogechukwu, 33.
“While a teenager, Boniface Odinakachukwu, 19, was apprehended with 99.4 kg of skunk at Isikwe Road, Achi, in Oji-River LGA, Enugu State, on Friday, August 18th, a wanted teenage bandit, Aliyu Mohammed Altine, 19, was arrested by NDLEA operatives along Illela-Sokoto Road with some wraps of skunk on Thursday, August.
“The suspect, who is on the wanted list of the police, has since been transferred to the police in Sokoto state for further investigation”.
