Crime

NDLEA Seizes Three Truckloads of Codeine Syrup and Pills, Arrests Suspects

Written by Jerry Alomatu on May 13, 2024

News Views: 195

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) intercepted three truckloads of opioids, totaling 3,450,000 pills and 344,000 bottles of codeine syrup in Abule Ado, Amuwo Odofin Local Government Area of Lagos State. Three suspects were apprehended in connection with the incident on Thursday, as confirmed by Femi Babafemi, the NDLEA Director of Media and Advocacy, in a statement on Sunday.

According to Babafemi, the large consignments, valued at multi-billion naira, were loaded into two 40-ft container trucks and another 20-ft truck at the AML bonded terminal in Abule-Osun, near the International Trade Fair complex. They were then transported to a warehouse in Abule-Ado, where NDLEA officers made the arrests and seized the opioid consignments on Thursday, May 9, 2024.

In addition to the Abule Ado seizure, other arrests were made across different states. In Ekiti State, a 75-year-old man, Jibril Audu, was arrested on Friday with 7.5 kilograms of cannabis at Oke-asa village, Ijero-Ekiti, during a raid. Similarly, a 70-year-old woman, Tikwase Nytor, was apprehended with 15.6 kilograms of cannabis on Thursday in Achusa, along the International Market Road, Makurdi, Benue State.

Further operations conducted by the NDLEA resulted in additional seizures. In one operation in the Coker area of Lagos on Tuesday, a suspect named Nwankwo Ejike was arrested with 100 litres of codeine syrup, while another suspect, Clinton Akinye, was found with 60 litres of the same substance on the same day in the same area.

In separate incidents, a Toyota Camry loaded with 37.5 kilograms of cannabis was intercepted at the Mile 12 area of Lagos on Monday, May 6. Another consignment of opioids, including tramadol pills and quantities of codeine syrup and Rohypnol, was seized along the Mubi-Yola Road, Adamawa State, on the same day. Two suspects linked to the drugs, Abubakar Auwal, 39, and Adamu Abubakar, 25, were promptly arrested.

In Edo State, NDLEA officials raided the Iguiye forest in the Ovia North East Local Government Area on Saturday. They destroyed a total of 11,636.185 kilograms of cannabis on three farms measuring 4.654474 hectares. Additionally, 188 kilograms of the same substance were recovered, and a suspect named Itah Nyong was arrested during the overnight operation.