October 13, 2024
By Adedoja Adesoji
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has made a significant breakthrough in its fight against drug trafficking, intercepting opioids worth N22.7 billion at Lekki and Onne seaports. This massive seizure is part of a fresh wave of interdiction operations targeting transnational drug cartels.
A Thailand returnee, Oguejiofor Nnaemeka Simonpeter, was arrested at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos on October 7, 2024.
He attempted to smuggle 13.30 kilograms of heroin, worth over N3.192 billion, concealed in six backpacks packed into two big suitcases. Simonpeter claimed he was hired for $7,000 to deliver the parcels, with two destined for Lagos and four for Accra, Ghana.
The 29-year-old graduate of Mechanical Engineering from the Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University, Uli, Anambra state, had left Thailand on October 3 and stopped over in Doha for two days before heading to Lagos.
His luggage was routed to Accra, Ghana, but he contacted the airline to reroute it to Nigeria.
NDLEA officers intercepted Simonpeter at the point of exit, and 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.
Meanwhile, NDLEA operatives intercepted large consignments of opioids at three seaports. A total of 32,607,900 pills of tramadol worth over N12.577 billion and 1,451,994 bottles of codeine-based syrup worth N10.163 billion were seized. The combined monetary value of the seized opioids comes to N22,740,958,000.
The illicit consignments were seized from containers watch-listed by NDLEA based on intelligence and processed for 100 percent joint examination with men of the Nigeria Customs and other security agencies at the three seaports between Monday, October 7, and Friday, October 11, 2024.
