The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has intensified its crackdown on drug trafficking with the arrest of an Iran-bound Nigerian businessman who ingested 53 wraps of cocaine, alongside several major interceptions of illicit drugs across the country — including a N1.1 billion shipment of codeine-based syrup hidden in sanitary wares.
By Chimezie Godfrey
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has intensified its crackdown on drug trafficking with the arrest of an Iran-bound Nigerian businessman who ingested 53 wraps of cocaine, alongside several major interceptions of illicit drugs across the country — including a N1.1 billion shipment of codeine-based syrup hidden in sanitary wares.
The 44-year-old suspect, Ezemokwe Chukwuebuka Christian, was arrested on Saturday, June 7, at the Port Harcourt International Airport while attempting to board a Qatar Airways flight to Tehran, Iran via Doha. Following a positive body scan for ingested drugs, Ezemokwe expelled 53 wraps of cocaine weighing 1.172kg over six excretions under observation.
He confessed to NDLEA investigators that he had been involved in cross-border drug trafficking between West Africa and Iran for the past two years. “I was desperate. I needed money. But I knew the risk,” he reportedly told officials during interrogation.
Just days later, another bust occurred at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) in Lagos. Operatives intercepted Edobor Ambrose Ali, an Italy-bound passenger attempting to smuggle 14,410 tramadol pills hidden in winter jackets inside his luggage. Ali, who was on an Air France flight, claimed he was recruited in Italy and promised €2,000 to courier the drugs back.
Meanwhile, in Rivers State, NDLEA operatives at the Port Harcourt Port in Onne uncovered a massive opioid haul: 157,800 bottles of codeine syrup hidden behind 257 cartons of sanitary wares during a joint examination of a flagged container. The consignment is valued at over N1.1 billion in street value.
The agency also stormed a warehouse in Obereakai, Odukpani LGA, Cross River, where they arrested three suspects and seized 2,687kg of skunk, a high-grade cannabis variant. The arrested suspects were identified as Friday Achibong Joseph (47), Abraham Anthony Willy (21), and Utibe David Okon (24).
Further operations across the country yielded additional seizures:
In Bauchi, officers intercepted 287kg of skunk in a Toyota Camry with two suspects, Iriemi Imonikhe and Sa’idu Ladan.
At Oniru Beach in Lagos, marine operatives recovered 560kg of skunk from a wooden boat.
In Maiduguri, two businessmen were arrested with ecstasy pills and cannabis products disguised as “Lychee” and “Porro Legal” at the Muhammadu Buhari International Airport.
In a statement on Sunday, NDLEA Chairman/CEO, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd) commended the agency’s operatives for their commitment to both supply reduction and drug demand reduction.
“These successes reflect the courage, diligence, and commitment of our men and women in the field. We will not relent,” Marwa said. “Every arrest is one less threat to our communities and youth.”
The NDLEA also sustained its War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) advocacy across secondary schools nationwide, with sensitization lectures delivered in Enugu, Ebonyi, Oyo, and Akwa Ibom States, underscoring the agency’s preventive approach to drug control.
With a renewed offensive against both traffickers and suppliers, NDLEA continues to deliver a strong message: Nigeria is no longer safe ground for drug criminality.