The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency has recorded another significant success in its nationwide campaign against drug trafficking, uncovering concealed narcotics imported into the country and intercepting military grade ammunition during a series of coordinated operations across several states.
According to a statement issued on Sunday by the agency’s spokesman, Femi Babafemi, NDLEA operatives discovered consignments of hard drugs hidden inside water purifier machines brought into Lagos from the Netherlands. The seizure was made during a routine examination at a courier facility in the state.
Among the drugs recovered were three kilogrammes of ketamine and 199 grammes of MDMA, commonly known as Ecstasy. The agency said the discovery highlights the increasingly sophisticated tactics being adopted by international drug trafficking networks to move illegal substances across borders.
In Kaduna State, operatives arrested a husband and wife, Musa Sunday and Mercy Sunday, along with another suspect, Salomi Ezekiel, after uncovering 100 jumbo bags of skunk weighing 1,246 kilogrammes. The illicit drugs were recovered from a residence in the Gonin Gora area on May 24.
The agency also reported the interception of 380 rounds of military grade 7.62mm ammunition along the Abuja Kaduna highway near Jere. The ammunition was allegedly being transported by a 30 year old suspect identified as Sunusi Musa on his way to Katsina State.
NDLEA disclosed that both the suspect and the recovered ammunition have been transferred to the appropriate security authorities for further investigation and possible prosecution.
In another operation carried out in Niger State, intelligence led efforts took operatives to a warehouse located in Gidan Kukah within Bosso Local Government Area. A total of 457 kilogrammes of skunk was recovered during the raid, while a suspect, Godwin Zakka, was arrested in connection with the illegal consignment.
The agency also recorded a major seizure in Enugu State after officers intercepted a commercial vehicle travelling from Onitsha to Taraba State along the Onitsha Enugu Expressway. A search conducted on the vehicle led to the recovery of 22,000 tramadol tablets, 100 ampoules of pentazocine and 200 grammes of bromazepam. The driver, James Maigari Wisdom, was subsequently taken into custody.
Beyond enforcement activities, the agency continued its War Against Drug Abuse campaign through public awareness and educational programmes across different parts of the country. Sensitisation exercises were held in schools and communities in Cross River, Taraba, Lagos and Anambra states as part of efforts to discourage drug abuse, particularly among young people.
Commending the officers involved in the operations, NDLEA Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Buba Marwa, praised personnel from the Kaduna, Niger and Enugu Commands, as well as the Directorate of Operations and General Investigation, for their dedication and professionalism.
Marwa urged officers nationwide to sustain the pressure on drug trafficking networks while continuing public enlightenment efforts aimed at reducing drug abuse and protecting communities.
The latest operations form part of the agency’s intensified efforts to dismantle both local and international drug syndicates operating within Nigeria and across its borders. Since the commencement of intelligence driven operations under Marwa’s leadership, the agency has recorded major seizures, arrests, convictions and the destruction of illegal cannabis farms in different parts of the country.
Nigeria’s strategic location and extensive transportation routes have long made it a transit and destination point for illicit drugs. Security authorities have repeatedly warned that drug trafficking fuels addiction and public health challenges while also contributing to violent crime, arms smuggling and the financing of criminal activities.
The recovery of military grade ammunition during one of the operations has further raised concerns about the connection between drug trafficking and wider security threats facing the country. Experts continue to advocate stronger cooperation among security agencies to tackle organised crime networks involved in both arms and drug smuggling.
NDLEA maintains that combining aggressive law enforcement with sustained public awareness campaigns remains one of the most effective ways to address the nation’s drug problem and protect citizens from the harmful consequences of substance abuse.
