Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency have intercepted 6,125 cartons of codeine syrup containing 1,050,000 bottles of the opioid worth over N7.3 billion in street value, at the Port Harcourt Ports complex, Onne, Rivers State.
This was contained in a statement issued in Abuja on Sunday by the NDLEA spokesman, Femi Babafemi.
He said that the seizure made from six containers on Saturday, June 29, 2024 was the third of such in the past four weeks following credible intelligence and diligent tracking of the consignments from their port of departure by a special operations unit of NDLEA, which worked in partnership with the Port Harcourt Ports Command of the Agency and other security agencies including the Customs Service for a 100 percent joint examination of the targeted containers.
Babafemi disclosed that at the end of the joint examination of the six containers, a total of 6,125 cartons containing 1,050,000 bottles of codeine syrup weighing 157,500 kilograms were recovered on Saturday.
He also added that NDLEA officers at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja Lagos have arrested two passengers travelling to Doha on a Qatar Airways flight at the screening point of terminal 2 after they tested positive to ingestion of illicit substances on Friday, June 21, 2024.
According to Babafemi, the suspects, Aikhomoun Daniel (alias Oladapo Olanrewaju) and Ayigoro Waheed Omobolaji were thereafter taken into observatory custody.
He said while Daniel excreted a total of 90 wraps of cocaine weighing 1.022kg in six excretions, Ayigoro discharged 60 wraps of the same Class A substance with a total weight of 662grams in five egestions.
Babafemi disclosed that further investigation revealed that Aikhomoun Daniel actually stole the identity of his late uncle who was once based in Germany, a decision he claimed he took to get Schengen visa to enable him free access to Europe, while his real name is Oladapo Olanrewaju.
The NDLEA spokesman also added that no less than 40.32kg of Loud, an imported strong strain of cannabis was on Friday, June 28, 2024 recovered in a black Toyota Tacoma truck along Lekki-Ikoyi road when the driver jumped off the vehicle after noticing that NDLEA operatives were on his trail.
In Abuja, Babafemi said NDLEA operatives on Friday night disrupted a drug party dubbed “Go hard or Go Home. Pick Your Poison”, where 60 suspects comprising 25 males and 35 females were arrested at an apartment in Sun City estate in the Federal Capital Territory.
He said that the raid followed credible intelligence about the drug party organized by one Stanley Ikechukwu who was arrested at the venue.
He made it known that at least six of the suspects, Victoria Adoga; Hamza Yari; Joanne Essein Joy; Socchima Valentine; Jago Imole; and Charles Indobuibisi, were arrested with different quantities of ecstasy and cannabis.
Babafemi said that the Chairman/Chief Executive of NDLEA, Brig Gen Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd) has directed that 20 of the suspects who tested negative to drug be released unconditionally, while 33 others who tested positive to illicit drugs were to be released on bail and will report at the FCT Command of the Agency on Monday to begin treatment and counselling.
He said no fewer than four suspects, Endurance Okon, 24; Joseph Michael, 23; Ovoco Bright, 43; and Goday Abanum, 23, were arrested in the deep forest of Ugun, Igueben LGA, Edo state on Saturday, June 29, 2024 when NDLEA operatives raided and destroyed 18,632.22 kilograms of cannabis on 7.452888 hectares of farmland.
