Nigeria: NDLEA makes significant breakthrough in fight against drug trafficking

By Zuleihat Owuiye, Mamos Nigeria

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has made a significant breakthrough in the fight against drug trafficking in Nigeria. According to Femi Babafemi, the agency’s spokesman, operatives have uncovered and dismantled a notorious syndicate that specialized in sponsoring Hajj pilgrims as drug couriers to Saudi Arabia.

Two intending pilgrims, Ibrahim Mustapha and Muhammad Shifado, were intercepted at the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport while attempting to board a flight to Jeddah. After a body scan confirmed ingestion of illicit substances, they were placed under excretion observation and subsequently excreted 45 wraps of cocaine each, totaling 90 pellets and weighing 1.04kg. Further investigation led to the arrest of three key cartel leaders: Abubakar Muhammad, Abdulhakeem Tijjani, and Muhammad Aji Shugaba, on May 27 and 28 in Kano 

In a related development, a 60-year-old businessman, Chinedu Leonard Okigbo, was arrested at the same airport while attempting to board a Qatar Airways flight to Iran. After a body scan confirmed ingestion of illicit substances, he excreted 65 wraps of cocaine weighing 1.41kg. The NDLEA also made significant seizures, including

N9.35 billion worth of Opioids: 825,200 bottles of codeine-based syrup and tramadol valued at N5.78 billion, along with 5.1 million pills of tapentadol 225mg valued at N3.57 billion, were seized at the Port Harcourt Ports Complex in Rivers State.

Counterfeit $900,000 in suspected counterfeit currency was intercepted by NDLEA operatives patrolling along the Kano-Maidug.