The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has intercepted a major drug shipment at Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos, containing 66 parcels of Loud, a potent strain of cannabis, disguised as green tea. The 62.20kg consignment, which arrived from Thailand via the UAE on an Emirates Airlines flight, was seized on Thursday, June 5, following credible intelligence. The NDLEA had been monitoring the shipment since May 11 and conducted a joint examination with other agencies after three weeks of surveillance.

 

In a separate operation in Lagos on Monday, June 2, NDLEA officers intercepted another large consignment — 1,665kg of skunk — along the Lekki-Ajah expressway. Two suspects, Gidado Abdulrasaq Ayinde and Obanla Oluwafemi, were arrested in connection with the case.

 

The agency also made significant arrests in Kaduna. On Tuesday, June 3, operatives patrolling the Abuja-Kaduna expressway apprehended 29-year-old Goodluck Nnaemeka with 612 bottles of codeine-based syrup and 2,970 flunitrazepam pills. On the same day, a long-wanted drug trafficker, 52-year-old Kabiru Musa (also known as KB), was arrested in Kurmin Mashi, after 25.7kg of skunk had previously been recovered from his residence.

 

In Edo State, NDLEA recovered 9kg of Loud hidden in the spare tyre compartment of an Audi station wagon driven by 45-year-old Atari Israel along Auchi Road. Also, on June 3, two young women, Favour Joy and Joy Igwe, were arrested at Ikpoba Hill, Benin City. Seized from them were 106.57kg of skunk, 1kg of Loud, 800 grams of Colorado (another cannabis variant), and 302 grams of methamphetamine.

 

Meanwhile, the NDLEA continued its nationwide War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) sensitization campaign. The agency delivered lectures at several schools, including Sir Usman Nagogo College of Arabic and Islamic Studies (Katsina), Fountain of Knowledge International Academy (Ebonyi), Prof. Eyo Ita Municipal Model Primary School (Cross River), Millennium High School (Lagos), and Community Secondary School, Ichida Anaocha (Anambra). Additionally, the Zone 13 Command paid a WADA advocacy visit to the Amayanabo of Nembe Kingdom, Dr. Edmund Dakoru, in Bayelsa State.

 

NDLEA Chairman and Chief Executive, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), commended the Lagos, MMIA, Kaduna, and Edo Commands for their outstanding efforts. He also praised NDLEA personnel nationwide for maintaining a balanced approach to reducing both the supply and demand of illicit drugs.