The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has apprehended Oguejiofor Nnaemeka Simonpeter, a returnee from Thailand, at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Ikeja, Lagos, for allegedly importing 13.30 kilograms of heroin valued at over N3.192 billion.
This significant bust was accompanied by the NDLEA’s interception of large shipments of opioids at three seaports, with a total estimated value of N22.7 billion.
The agency released a statement signed by spokesperson Femi Babafemi on Sunday, detailing the recent operations.
Oguejiofor was arrested on October 7, 2024, while trying to smuggle the narcotics concealed in six backpacks packed inside two large suitcases.
The 29-year-old, a Mechanical Engineering graduate from Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University in Uli, Anambra State, had flown from Thailand on October 3, with a layover in Doha before arriving in Lagos.
Upon landing in Lagos on October 5, he attempted to have his luggage, originally routed to Accra, Ghana, redirected to Nigeria as rush bags to evade security checks.
However, he was intercepted by NDLEA officers.
“A search of his two suitcases revealed three empty backpacks in each box with a large parcel of heroin neatly sewn to all six backpacks.
The six parcels were subsequently recovered with a gross weight of 13.30kg,” the statement said.
During questioning, Oguejiofor claimed he was promised $7,000 for delivering the parcels, two in Lagos and four in Accra.
In addition to this arrest, the NDLEA reported seizing 32.6 million pills of Tramadol worth over N12.5 billion, along with bottles of codeine syrup valued at N10.1 billion, at Lekki Deep Seaport, Apapa Seaport, and Port Harcourt Port Complex in Rivers State.
These seizures were made between October 7 and 11, 2024, based on intelligence and subsequent inspections conducted with Nigeria Customs and other security agencies.
Furthermore, on October 12, NDLEA operatives in Anambra arrested Okelue Chidera, 29, with 50,000 tablets of Tramadol (200mg) in Onitsha.
In Edo State, agents seized 70 bags of cannabis weighing 1,050 kg during a raid at a transit point in Aviose, Owan West LGA.
Another suspect, Monday Akele, 38, was apprehended on October 11 in Ovia North East LGA with 110 kg of the same substance.
The NDLEA has also been actively engaging in sensitization efforts as part of its War Against Drug Abuse (WADA).
Recent activities included educational outreach to various schools and communities across Nigeria, including Sacred Heart Girls International Secondary School in Calabar and Federal Government Girls Secondary School in Bida, Niger State.
Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the NDLEA, praised the operational successes of the agency’s personnel at the MMIA, Lekki Seaport, Apapa, and Port Harcourt, acknowledging their balanced approach to both drug supply reduction and demand reduction efforts.
