NIGERIA: NDLEA Cracks Down On Trans-Border Drug Cartel, Arrest Four In Onitsha And Keffi

By Ameenat Hamzat, Lagos, Nigeria 

The National Drug Law Enforcement (NDLEA), has busted a trans-border drug trafficking syndicate after it seized a large cache of tramadol pills concealed in the compartments of Toyota Sienna buses.

This was disclosed in a statement issued by the NDLEA’s Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, on Sunday.

According to him, the agency arrested four syndicate members after weeks of extensive intelligence and surveillance operations by operatives of the Directorate of Intelligence in NDLEA.

According to the statement, Babafemi said that a Toyota Sienna with registration number ABJ 452 HG was intercepted along the Nasarawa-Toto Road, Keffi, Nasarawa State, on Tuesday, January 27, 2025, at 6 AM.

Two suspects, Zahradeen Adamu (27) and Abubakar Usman (44) were arrested while transporting the illicit drugs from Onitsha, Anambra State, to Yola, Adamawa State.

He further added that a second Sienna bus driven by one Abba Usman, 48, was also intercepted.

Femi noted that, during a thorough search, DLEA operatives uncovered specially fabricated steel compartments hidden behind the rear bumpers and in the spare tyre spaces of both vehicles.

The concealed stash contained 190,960 tramadol pills.

He revealed that after a thorough investigation, the operatives arrested Kingsley Mbaeri, who was said to be the key supplier of the drugs.

Kingsley was arrested at his residence on Uga Street, Onitsha, on January 29, 2025.

Authorities also confiscated two vehicles; a Toyota Corolla (FGG 948 MF) and a Toyota Sienna (GWA 23 HH) believed to be used for drug distribution.

The statement further reads; “In Cross River state, NDLEA officers on patrol along Ogoja -Abakaliki road, Yahe, on Thursday 13th February intercepted 170,000 pills of tramadol in a truck driven by Paul Chukwudi, 31, while operatives at the Apapa seaport in Lagos on Tuesday 11th February recovered 85,400 bottles of codeine-based syrup in a container imported from India.

“Two suspects: Halilu Isa and Gambo Umaru were nabbed at Bama road, Maiduguri, Borno state on Friday 14th February with 60 compressed blocks of skunk, a strain of cannabis, weighing 72kg, while NDLEA operatives in Ekiti state on Tuesday 11th February raided

“A notorious drug joint at Iloda Street, Ikole-Ekiti where they arrested three suspects: Bala Muhammed, 57; Yahaya Adamu, 55, and Abdullahi Shehu, 30. A total of 83 kilograms of skunk were recovered from them.

“In Lagos, 28-year-old Samiat Olabisi Yussuf was on Saturday 15th February arrested by operatives during a raid of her Lekki home where 169.5 litres of nitrous oxide popularly known as laughing gas and 111grams of Loud were recovered. Not less than 132.84 kilograms of skunk were recovered from two suspects: Ibrahim Usman, 40, and Solomon James, 40, in Taraba.

“While Usman was nabbed with 88kg of Arizona and Ghana Loud at Wukari, James was arrested with 44.84kg of the same substance at Takanaba, Sabongari, in Jalingo LGA.

“Meanwhile, across the country, NDLEA Commands continued their War Against Drug Abuse, WADA, sensitization lectures and advocacy visits to worship centres, schools, workplaces, palaces of traditional rulers and communities all through the past week.

“Instances include: WADA sensitization lecture to students and staff of Government Technical College, Oku, Akwa Ibom; Future Leaders Academy, Kishi, Oyo state; Government Secondary School, Bashire, Sokoto; Ehere Comprehensive School, Ogbor Hill, Abia; Government Day Secondary School, Taura, Jigawa state; and Jesuit College, Agbado Ekiti, Ekiti state; while Kano state command of NDLEA conducted WADA enlightenment lecture for married women in purdah at Markaz Umar Bn Khattab Centre, Kano, among others.

“While commending the officers and men of Directorate of Intelligence, Apapa, Cross River, Borno, Ekiti, Taraba, and Lagos Commands of the Agency for the arrests and seizures of the past week, Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd) also applauded their compatriots in all the commands across the country for intensifying the WADA sensitization lectures and advocacy messages to every part of their areas of responsibility.”