By Peter Omopo
In a sweeping nationwide crackdown on drug trafficking, the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested a Chinese businessman, an 80-year-old grandmother, and several other suspects. The operation, which targeted synthetic and hard drugs hidden in unusual packaging, led to the seizure of large quantities of illicit substances across multiple states.
NDLEA spokesperson, Femi Babafemi, disclosed in a statement on Sunday that Chinese national Liang Tak You was arrested at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, on Friday after arriving from Bangkok via Dubai on an Emirates flight. The suspect, a Malaysian-based naturalised citizen, was found in possession of 50 parcels of Loud (a strong synthetic cannabis strain) weighing 26.1kg, hidden in two suitcases. He had reportedly picked up the drugs in Thailand before flying to Nigeria.
In Cross River State, 80-year-old Mrs. Grace Ekpeme was arrested at her residence in Calabar South with over 3kg of skunk, following intelligence reports of her involvement in drug trafficking.
Other major arrests and seizures include:
- Chidi Agbafo, intercepted on the Epe–Ajah Expressway, Lagos, with 21.7kg of Colorado hidden in moimoi sachets, and 3.8 litres of codeine syrup. The drugs were en route to Warri and Oghara in Delta State.
- 101kg of Canadian Loud was discovered at the Apapa Seaport, Lagos, concealed in 202 tins of imported food labeled “Bean Salad Mix” inside two Toyota Sienna vans shipped from Canada.
- In Kaduna, Usman Musa was arrested with 71,000 opioid pills, including tramadol, diazepam, and Exol-5, on a commercial bus heading to Kano.
In Borno State, a 30-year-old woman, Binta Usman, was arrested in Maiduguri with 30.1kg of skunk, and her accomplice, Bala Abdullahi, was later apprehended. Similarly, in Ondo State, three brothers—Nanna, Chizom, and Maxwell Ozirinye—were arrested during a raid on a cannabis farm in Idoani, where 2,500kg of cannabis was destroyed and 121.4kg seized.
In Benin City, Edo State, 26-year-old Bright Sunday Okon was arrested with multiple drug types, including Colorado, Arizona, skunk, and methamphetamine.
Other notable arrests and seizures include:
- 105.4kg of skunk recovered from an abandoned vehicle in Keffi, Nasarawa State.
- 6,400 pills of tramadol seized from Bashir Abdullahi in Minna, Niger State.
- 113kg of skunk confiscated from Jamiu Omolaja, a notorious dealer in Ifo, Ogun State, after violent resistance.
- Adamu “Dankyado” Adamu arrested with 10,910 tramadol capsules on the Gombe–Bajoga road.
- A major bust in Kogi State where drugs concealed in garri and scent leaves were intercepted, leading to the arrest of Kindness Bala in Abuja.
The NDLEA also recovered 23,600 tramadol pills, 300 pentazocine ampoules, and 700g of skunk from a truck in Ayingba, Kogi State.
Beyond enforcement, NDLEA continued its War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) campaign with sensitisation lectures in schools across Oyo, Ebonyi, Sokoto, and Lagos, and royal advocacy visits in Anambra State.
NDLEA Chairman, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd.), commended the agency’s officers across the country for their vigilance and commitment to both drug supply and demand reduction.
