Efforts by transnational criminal organizations to flood Nigerian communities with large quantities of assorted illicit drugs during the yuletide season were foiled by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA). The agency arrested a 70-year-old grandma, Selifat Cole, and her son, Babajide Cole, a day after intercepting millions of tramadol 225mg pills, thousands of codeine syrup bottles, and bags of Canadian Loud.
In a statement on Sunday, NDLEA spokesperson Femi Babafemi disclosed that operatives raided a house in the Mushin area of Lagos on Thursday, December 21, where the arrests were made. The 70-year-old and her son were found in possession of 117.900kg of cannabis sativa.
At the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, NDLEA officers, with the cooperation of the Nigerian Customs and other stakeholders, intercepted 7,500,000 pills of tramadol 225mg. The pills were concealed in 100 large cartons weighing 7,150kg, arriving in the country on a Turkish airline with no country of manufacture or origin. The tramadol pills were specially designed and packaged as tamol-x, with a preliminary test proving positive to tramadol hydrochloride.
In addition to the airport interception, NDLEA operatives in Lagos conducted a search operation on two shops at the Trade Fair Complex in the Ojo area of Lagos. They recovered 258 cartons of codeine-based cough syrup and eight cartons of codeine tablets. The cartons contained 49,200 bottles of codeine syrup and 46,200 tablets of the same opioid.
The NDLEA also revealed that in the Federal Capital Territory, operatives intercepted a waybill consignment of 25,000 pills of tramadol. In Anambra, two suspects were arrested at the Onitsha head bridge with a bus containing various drugs, including tramadol, codeine, rohypnol, and designer drugs. In Delta State, a joint operation with the military led to the recovery of 353kg of cannabis from the home of a drug kingpin, Chukwuma Eneriku, in Abbi town. In Enugu State, operatives recovered 435.1kg of cannabis sativa from a warehouse in Trans Ekulu.
Additionally, in Edo State, NDLEA operatives arrested five persons dressed in agency operational jackets for impersonating officers and conducting illegal operations. The suspects were found with a fabricated gun and a pistol carved from wood. A bottle of codeine-based syrup was also found in their possession.