Fidelia Soriwei, Abuja
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency has intercepted consignments of Colorado, opioids and other illicit drugs concealed in music speakers, loaves of bread and consolidated cargoes in operations across several states.
The seizures included 44.45kg of Colorado, also known as Colos, from two consignments linked to the United Kingdom at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, with two suspects arrested.
According to the NDLEA spokesman, Femi Babafemi, a real estate agent, Abideen Jide Salami, was arrested on Wednesday, September 9, after allegedly arriving to collect a large luggage containing 32.20kg of Colorado using a secret code provided by his brother in the UK.
A follow-up operation led to the arrest of 44-year-old Nurudeen Abiodun Kadiri, who was designated to receive another 12.25kg consignment of Colorado. Kadiri told investigators that his brother in the UK sent the drugs.
The agency also intercepted Colorado concealed inside music speakers at two Lagos motor parks. At Maza-Maza, a speaker containing three packs of Colorado allegedly destined for Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, and ultimately Liberia, was seized. A tour agent, Ifeanyi Augustine, 41, and the alleged owner, Obasi Ugochuckwu, 46, were arrested during a sting operation at a nearby eatery.
At Iddo motor park, another suspect, Ifeanyi Nwokolo Henry, was arrested on Friday, September 11, while allegedly attempting to dispatch 2.1kg of Colorado to Kano.
In Kano, NDLEA operatives arrested 20-year-old Saidu Adamu in Sabon Gari with 785,000 pregabalin capsules weighing 669.425kg. Another operation along the Zaria-Kano-Hadejia Road led to the seizure of 1,700 diazepam tablets allegedly concealed inside loaves of bread and being transported by 28-year-old Habibu Sabitu.
The agency said operations in Delta State also produced significant seizures, including pentazocine injections, codeine syrup, tramadol, diazepam, flunitrazepam, also known as Hypnox, and MDMA, popularly called Molly. Some of the drugs were concealed in music speakers, while Emeka Oji and Chukwuebuka Anedi were arrested.
In Plateau State, 51-year-old Chinedu Uzor was arrested at Katako Market, Jos, with 157,100 tramadol capsules.
NDLEA operations targeting cannabis cultivation also led to the destruction of 4,832.56kg of skunk on farms in Usen Forest, Igwe-Oke Forest and Ogboha Forest in Edo State. A 39-year-old suspect, Sunday Segun, was arrested during the operation on Friday, September 11.
In Ondo State, operatives recovered 186kg of skunk allegedly concealed in the boot of a Toyota Avalon car along Oke-Iya, Ijoka Road, Akure. The agency said 58-year-old Paul Ogbuwala was arrested and was planning to transport the consignment to Jos for onward distribution.
Further seizures were recorded in Kaduna and Bayelsa. Female suspect Hannah Michael was arrested at Gonin Gora, Kaduna, with 369.6kg of cannabis, while four suspects, including 70-year-old Godwoman Gboriye, were arrested at Ovom, Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, with 110 bags of cannabis weighing 876kg. The other suspects were Motombo Silver, 44, Pere Andrew, 39, and Keme Andrew, 43.
Commending the officers involved, NDLEA Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd.), urged personnel to maintain the agency’s approach to drug control and “continue to shut every pipeline being used by drug cartels,” including routes through airports, seaports, land borders and cannabis-growing areas.
