The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) turned down a bribe of N10 million offered to secure the release of Tsolaye Eburajolo, a 40-year-old man arrested in Lagos in connection with a massive drug bust.
Eburajolo’s arrest followed the interception of drugs with an estimated street value of N16.7 billion, including 26.25 million tramadol pills and 508,400 bottles of codeine-based syrup, found during joint inspections by the NDLEA, Customs Service, and other security agencies at Tincan and Port Harcourt Ports between October 22 and 23.
According to NDLEA spokesperson Femi Babafemi, the attempted bribe has been documented as evidence in Eburajolo’s prosecution.
Other illicit items seized during the inspections included 10 million tablets of Toradol Benzhexol, 28 drums of methamphetamine (weighing 700 kg), and 56 parcels of Loud (28 kg), a synthetic cannabis strain, found in a container from Canada.
Additional arrests and seizures have also occurred across the country.
In Lagos, officers confiscated drugs concealed in various items meant for shipment to the U.S., U.K., and Oman.
On October 12, 2024, 2,118 tramadol pills hidden in the soles of shoes bound for Cyprus were seized, and a follow-up investigation led to more pills recovered at the home of the sender, Okenwa Kelvin Uchenna, in Enugu on October 24.
On October 25, NDLEA operatives raided the Igbo-Igunuko shrine in Ajah, Lagos, where they seized 2,760 kg of Ghanaian Loud and arrested two suspects, Gbenga Abiodun and Sunday Abiodun.
The same day, officers arrested Ademola Oyelakin with 770 kg of similar substances on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway.
Another suspect, Muhammad Abdullahi, was arrested in Lekki, Lagos, after officers discovered a hidden stash of drugs under his bedroom floor.
The NDLEA also made arrests in Plateau, Abuja, Edo, and Osun states.
In Plateau, agents seized 65.85 kg of cannabis and other narcotics from two suspects, Fadan Bindom and Sunday Agbata, on October 23.
In Abuja, a significant cannabis distributor, Umar Muhammed, was apprehended on October 21 following a previous 198.5 kg cannabis seizure linked to him.
In Edo, agents confiscated 640 kg of cannabis hidden among vegetables at Ewu Junction, Irrua, while in Osun, 200 blocks of cannabis (133 kg) were found with suspect Adereti Kazeem on October 24.
Babafemi reiterated NDLEA’s commitment to combating drug trafficking nationwide, emphasizing their steadfastness in rejecting bribery and ensuring rigorous prosecution.
