By Gbemiga Olamikan.
Operatives of NDLEA In raid by the special operation unit, have recovered no fewer than 1,100 ampoules of lethal synthetic opioid, fentanyl, weighing 6.48kg from a member of a drug trafficking syndicate, 34-year-old Ikeh Stanley Ifeanyi at the popular Idumota market in Lagos Island.
Also no less than 790 ampoules of the dangerous opioid weighing 5.273kg were equally seized from another member of the fentanyi syndicate, 48-year-old Chieze Ogechukwu Benjamin who was also arrested at Idumota market. Fentanyl, a lethal synthetic opioid, which is 100 times more potent than heroin is currently responsible for over 70% overdose deaths as well as a major contributor to fatal and nonfatal overdoses in the US.
Two other persons: Olayiwola Aremu Kazeem, 37, and Ogunfowora Taofik Ajibola, 35, were arrested on Lagos Island in a different raid by NDLEA officers with 432 grams of methamphetamine recovered from them.
This was contained in a statement signed by Director, Media and Advocacy NDLEA Headquarters, Femi Babafemi. He disclosed that at the Tincan port in Lagos, NDLEA operatives on Saturday 25th May intercepted 15 parcels of Loud, a synthetic strain of cannabis weighing 7.5kg concealed in the doors and body crevices of a Toyota Highlander SUV in a container marked MSMU 7294325. The container declared as containing three units of used vehicles including the Toyota Highlander originated from Toronto and shipped to Nigeria via Montreal, Canada.
A swift follow up operation led to the arrest of two suspects: Sunday Sodade and Oriyomi Adesina, who were to receive the vehicle and the drug consignment. A bribe of six million naira offered NDLEA officers by the sender of the container based in Canada through his agent has also been registered as exhibit for the prosecution of the case.
Reacting to the arrest of the drug kingpins and the seizure of the dangerous illicit drugs, Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig Gen Mohamed Buba Marwa (Retd) commended the officers and men of the special operation unit for their resilience in targeting and taking down drug cartels and barons. He equally praised the result-oriented collaboration between NDLEA and its local and international partners, urging all commands and formations of the Agency to remain unrelenting in their offensive action against the drug underworld.
