The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has apprehended a 38-year-old man, Okafor Ifeanyi Anthony, at the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport (MAKIA) in Kano for drug trafficking. This information was shared in a statement on Sunday by Femi Babafemi, the NDLEA Director of Media and Advocacy.
Okafor was arrested on September 15, 2024, as he prepared to board a Qatar Airlines flight to Iran via Doha, carrying 76 pellets of cocaine hidden in his stomach. After being placed under observation for three days, he successfully excreted all the pellets, which weighed a total of 1.267 kg.
The statement detailed the incident: “On September 15th, NDLEA operatives arrested Okafor Ifeanyi Anthony at MAKIA while attempting to travel to Iran with 76 wraps of cocaine in his stomach. Following a three-day observation, he excreted the pellets weighing 1.267 kg.”
In addition to this arrest, the NDLEA also reported significant drug seizures at the Tincan port complex in Lagos. A total of 25 million pills of tapentadol, an opioid far stronger than tramadol, and 350,000 bottles of codeine syrup were intercepted. These seizures occurred on September 17 and September 20, 2024, from three containers flagged by the agency based on intelligence.
The estimated street value of the tapentadol pills is about N13.725 billion, while the codeine syrup is valued at approximately N2.45 billion, bringing the total seizure value to N14.95 billion.
Among the details shared, it was noted that the tapentadol was found in 500 cartons within one of the containers, while another held 175,000 bottles of Barcadin cough syrup. A third container was found to contain 175,000 bottles of CSC cough syrup.
In other enforcement actions, NDLEA officers in Kogi State intercepted 700,000 pills of exol-5 destined for distribution in Kano and Kaduna. Additionally, a suspect, Udemefuna Chibuike, aged 23, was arrested on September 20 in Niger State with significant quantities of tramadol and diazepam.
On September 18, 451 blocks of cannabis weighing 213 kg were seized in Port Harcourt, with a suspect apprehended in connection to the delivery. Moreover, in Plateau State, a wanted suspect was caught with 808 kg of cannabis hidden in bags of sugar and fertilizer, while another suspect in Kwara was found with 28 kg of the same substance.
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