Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have conducted a series of significant operations nationwide, intercepting various illicit drug consignments and dismantling major trafficking networks. These extensive efforts have led to the seizure of substantial quantities of cocaine, cannabis, opioids, and the arrest of numerous suspects, including notorious drug kingpins and family-run syndicates.

Among the notable seizures, NDLEA officers from the Directorate of Operations and General Investigation (DOGI) in Lagos intercepted cocaine concealed in unusual items. At a courier company, 420 grammes of cocaine were discovered factory-fitted into 84 pieces of female lipsticks destined for the United Kingdom.

In a separate instance, 280 grammes of the same Class A drug were uncovered within a property title document, specifically a Certificate of Occupancy (C of O), being shipped to Saudi Arabia. These illicit consignments were recovered from cargos prepared for shipment last Thursday.

A major breakthrough occurred with the arrest of notorious drug kingpin Ajetsibo Emami, popularly known as ‘Warri Kinsman’, in Ikeja, Lagos. Emami was apprehended on Saturday, June 28, following a three-day operation that successfully dismantled his drug trafficking network, leading to the arrest of three other suspects.

From Emami’s syndicate, operatives recovered 24 jumbo bags containing 681 pouches of Canadian Loud, a potent strain of cannabis, weighing a total of 414.2 kilogrammes. This bust stemmed from credible intelligence indicating Emami's attempt to move the shipment to the Lekki area of Lagos for wider distribution across the state and the country.

Furthermore, the NDLEA has taken into custody a businessman, Ajah Uchenna, his wife Rosemary Uchenna, along with their daughters Stella, Ngozi, and Blessing Uchenna, and their family friend Okoro Elijah. Investigations revealed that this family ran a major illicit drug distribution network in Lagos.

The couple was initially arrested on Friday, June 13, by operatives of the Department of State Security (DSS) in the Ojo area of the state and subsequently transferred to NDLEA with 277.5 kilogrammes of skunk. While they were in custody, intelligence indicated that the family business continued to operate from their home.

This led to a raid of their residence and a packing store last Tuesday, where an additional 231 kilogrammes of skunk were recovered. The daughters, Ngozi Uchenna and Blessing Uchenna, along with Okoro Elijah, were arrested during this raid for running the business in the absence of the couple.

At the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) in Lagos, NDLEA operatives intercepted a frequent flyer, Aburemi Hysent, last Wednesday. Hysent, who specializes in conveying goods between Nigeria and Italy, was found to have hidden 7,660 pills of tramadol (225mg and 200mg) inside food items among other goods bound for Italy. He claimed he was promised 800 euros for the successful delivery of the drug consignment.

In another operation at the Lagos Airport's export shed last Friday, 52 pieces of travellers’ cheques, suspected to be counterfeit and worth 17,700,000 Australian dollars, were intercepted. These cheques were concealed in children’s books and were en route to Malaysia via Istanbul on a Turkish Airlines flight. A freight agent, Bolarinwa Saheed, was arrested in connection with this seizure, and the case will be transferred to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for further investigation.

Nationwide, NDLEA operations continued to yield results. At the Seme border in Badagry last Saturday, 718 big balls of skunk weighing 359 kilogrammes were recovered from a store in the Baba-Pupa area.

Along the Okene-Lokoja highway, 10,000 pills of tramadol (225mg), co-codamol, and 1.050kg of Colorado (a synthetic strain of cannabis) were intercepted, leading to the arrest of the consignments' owners – Chinedu Odo, Samuel Ogbonna, and Kingsley Ugaji – at Jabi Park in Abuja during follow-up operations.

In Osun State, multiple arrests were made last Thursday: Agunbiade Folusho (40) and Suleiman Dasola (28) were apprehended in Ajegunle, Osogbo, with 13,901 pills and ampoules of various opioids. Adebayo Adewale (50) was nabbed at a patent medicine shop in Arubidi Street, Ile-Ife, with 48,205 pills of opioids.

A raid on a vulcanizer workshop at Akindeko junction, Alekuwodo area of Osogbo last Tuesday led to the arrest of Wasiu Ajadi (45), Babatunde Ojo (35), and Yusuf Sarafadeen (39), from whom 1,250 ampoules of pentazocine injection, 850 pills of tramadol, and three bottles of codeine-based syrup were recovered.

Additionally, NDLEA operatives raided 9.67-hectare cannabis farmland at Ikaka, Oke-Ila Forest, Osun State last Thursday, destroying 24,175 kilogrammes of skunk and arresting seven suspects: Bunmi Adedapo (41), Adebisi Sodiq (26), Babatunde Gani (22), John Sunday (30), Israel Odabe (29), Solomon Odabe (21), and Prosper Odabe (23).

Further operations across different states include the recovery of 167 kilogrammes of skunk at Gamboru-Ngala in Borno, and 452 kilogrammes of the same psychoactive substance seized at Gadar Tamburawa along Zaria-Kano Road last Thursday, leading to the arrest of Nasuru Saleh and Mustapha Muhammad. Along the Abuja-Kaduna expressway, 11,000 pills of tramadol (225mg) were recovered from Sule Sadiq (30) last Thursday.

In Sokoto, 62-year-old Joseph Onungene was arrested with 4,800 pills of tramadol (225mg). Kebbi State operatives raided the Bakin Kasuwa Yauri base, seizing 312 kilogrammes of skunk and 10,000 tabs of diazepam. Chigbo Okolo (52) and Ishaku Musa (28) were arrested last Saturday in Mallum, Ardo-Kola Local Council Area of Taraba State, with 49,930 capsules of tramadol.

In Edo State, the Ewere Forest in Owan West Local Government Area was raided, resulting in the arrest of wanted suspect Alaba Monday (49) with 115 kilogrammes of processed skunk from his cannabis farm, while Shamsu Abdullahi, Peter Egboko, and Justin John were nabbed in another farm measuring 2.050201 hectares.

Finally, in Cross River State, 78-year-old Mike Abeng was arrested with 14.49 kilogrammes of skunk and tramadol during a raid at Ofudua, Obubra Local Government Area, with others like Oyom Akam (50), Sylvester Odem (40), and Moses Ayo (50) apprehended with illicit substances at Ovonum, Obubra Local Government Area.