The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested a suspected drug trafficker, Egwu Phillip Inya, who claimed to be a building engineer, after he attempted to take delivery of illicit consignments concealed in pressure machines imported from South Africa.
Femi Babafemi, Director of Media and Advocacy at NDLEA Headquarters in Abuja, confirmed the arrest in a statement on Sunday. The 42-year-old was apprehended on December 2, 2024, at Okeyson Motor Park in Enugu while attempting to collect three pressure machines, which were found to contain 7.40 kilograms of Loud, a synthetic cannabis strain.
The consignments had arrived at Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) in Lagos on November 29, 2024. NDLEA operatives, acting on credible intelligence, monitored the shipment as it passed through customs and was moved to a warehouse outside the airport for collection. However, the point of collection was changed at the last minute, with the consignments redirected to Enugu. NDLEA operatives tracked the shipment and arrested Egwu when he showed up to claim the drugs.
In a separate operation, NDLEA operatives in Adamawa State seized 511,000 pills of tramadol from a Siena vehicle along the Hildi-Askira Uba road on December 6, 2024. The vehicle’s occupants abandoned the consignment after noticing the NDLEA patrol team closing in on them.
In Ekiti State, two suspects, Olanrewaju Alale, 48, and Babatunde Kayode Ijadahun, 55, were arrested on December 6 while transporting 1,323 kilograms of cannabis in a J5 bus marked EPE 958 XJ. The pair had claimed the consignment was headed for the North for distribution.
Meanwhile, in Oyo State, Adekunle Yusuf, 33, was arrested on December 6 with 704 kilograms of cannabis concealed in white sacks along Idere Road, Igboora.
In Lagos, 65-year-old grandmother Ramata Bola Adeyemo was arrested on December 6 with 20.6 liters of codeine-based syrup at 62 Odunfa Street, Lagos Island. Another suspect, Alhaji Lawan Manga, was arrested on December 5 with 4.7 kilograms of cannabis and 1.3 kilograms of tramadol.
NDLEA operatives across the country have continued their efforts in the War Against Drug Abuse (WADA), organizing sensitization lectures in schools, worship centers, workplaces, and communities. Lectures were held at institutions such as Progressive Secondary School in Oyo State, Muslim Grammar School in Osun State, and Santa Maria Secondary School in Enugu State.
NDLEA Chairman, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), commended the agency’s officers for their successful operations and emphasized the importance of a balanced approach to drug supply reduction and drug demand reduction.
