The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has intercepted 290,450 pills of tramadol (250mg) and pregabalin capsules in a major drug bust across multiple states, including Kano, Lagos, and Kaduna.
This was contained in a statement on Sunday by NDLEA’s Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi.
Babafemi said the agency also foiled a syndicate’s attempt to smuggle cannabis from Thailand to Lagos through courier companies.
According to him, operatives discovered 6.3kg of “Loud,” a potent strain of cannabis, concealed in bedsheets and dried hibiscus flowers. The package was intercepted by NDLEA officers working with courier firms in Lagos.
In Kano, a joint operation between NDLEA and the Nigeria Customs Service along the Danbatta–Daura Road led to the arrest of 38-year-old Sa’adu Ali. Officers seized 290,450 tramadol pills and pregabalin capsules during the operation.
In Lagos, operatives also arrested a notorious drug dealer, John Igbe, popularly known as “SammyBless,” on Admiralty Road, Lekki. He was caught with 550 grams of Colorado, a synthetic strain of cannabis, packaged in plastic cups.
On the same day, three other suspects—Idris Lukman, Fuad Abdulsalam, and Mobolaji James—were arrested in Mushin with 109kg of skunk, 20 bottles of codeine syrup, and 2kg of nitrous oxide (popularly known as laughing gas).
At the Trade Fair Complex in the Alaba area of Lagos, NDLEA operatives recovered 3,700 bottles of codeine syrup and 550,000 caplets of expired 225mg diclofenac during a separate warehouse raid.
In Kwara State, 27,700 pills of tramadol (100mg and 225mg) were seized from 25-year-old Salisu Abubakar during a stop-and-search operation in Bode Saadu, Moro Local Government Area, on September 29.
In Kaduna, 50-year-old Blessing Ovaka was arrested with 498.5kg of skunk at Kudandan in Chikun Local Government Area, while 27-year-old Dahiru Salisu was caught with 34,180 tramadol capsules along the Kaduna–Zaria Road.
Also on September 29, NDLEA officers raided a location in Isheri, Obafemi Owode Local Government Area of Ogun State, where they arrested Abubakar Audu with 112kg of skunk and 16 grams of tramadol hidden within the premises
