The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) says its operatives have busted a trans-border drug trafficking syndicate, arresting four suspected members and seizing 190,960 pills of tramadol.
The agency disclosed that its Directorate of Intelligence had been tracking the cartel for weeks before launching a coordinated operation.
In a statement on Sunday, Femi Babafemi, NDLEA spokesperson, said the bust operations led to the recovery of the multi-million-naira worth of tramadol pills concealed in the bumper and false bottom of Sienna buses heading to border towns.
Arrests in Keffi and Onitsha
He said that following weeks of intelligence gathering and surveillance by operatives of the Directorate of Intelligence in NDLEA, a Sienna bus with registration number ABJ 452 HG was intercepted along the Nasarawa-Toto road in Keffi, Nasarawa State, at about 6 a.m. on Tuesday, January 27, 2025.
“Two suspects, Zahradeen Adamu, 27, and Abubakar Usman, 44, were arrested in the vehicle, which was coming from Onitsha, Anambra State, and heading to Yola, Adamawa State,” he said. “A second Sienna bus, driven by 48-year-old Abba Usman, was also intercepted.”
According to him, a thorough search of the two vehicles led to the discovery of specially constructed steel compartments concealed behind the back bumper and in the space meant for the spare tyre.
“A total of 190,960 pills of tramadol were hidden in these compartments,” he said.
Further investigations, he added, revealed that the consignment of tramadol was supplied by an Onitsha-based dealer identified as Kingsley Mbaeri.
“Acting swiftly on this intelligence, NDLEA operatives carried out a follow-up operation and arrested Mbaeri at his residence on Uga Street, Onitsha, on January 29,” Babafemi stated.
He noted that during the raid, two vehicles—a Toyota Corolla with registration number FGG 948 MF and a Toyota Sienna bus marked GWA 23 HH—were recovered from Mbaeri’s house.
Abuja operations
Babafemi also revealed that in another interdiction operation, NDLEA operatives from the Intelligence Department intercepted a commercial bus coming from Onitsha, Anambra State, at the Abaji checkpoint in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, on February 4.
“A passenger in the bus, 32-year-old Chimezie Henry Ojingwa, who was carrying motor spare parts in a black bag, was arrested,” he said. “Upon searching his bag, officers recovered 404.47 grams of methamphetamine, 506.49 grams of Loud, a synthetic strain of cannabis, and 262.32 grams of dimethyl sulfone, a precursor substance used for mixing meth. The drugs were carefully concealed within the motor parts.”
Other major seizures included:
Cross River State: 170,000 tramadol pills intercepted from a truck on Ogoja-Abakaliki road on February 13.
Lagos: 85,400 bottles of codeine-based syrup were recovered from a container imported from India at Apapa port on February 11.
Borno State: Two suspects were arrested with 60 compressed blocks of skunk weighing 72kg on February 14.
Ekiti State: Three suspects were arrested at a notorious drug joint in Ikole-Ekiti with 83kg of skunk on February 11.
Lagos: Samiat Olabisi Yussuf, 28, was arrested in her Lekki home on February 15 with 169.5 litres of nitrous oxide (laughing gas) and 111 grams of Loud.
Taraba State: Ibrahim Usman, 40, and Solomon James, 40, were arrested with 132.84kg of Arizona and Ghana Loud.
Meanwhile, NDLEA’s War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) campaign continued with sensitization lectures across schools, workplaces, and religious centres nationwide. NDLEA Chairman, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), commended the officers involved in the recent arrests and seizures, urging them to intensify efforts in combating drug trafficking across the country.
