In an extensive crackdown on drug trafficking, the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) arrested Olu Marshal, a software engineer, at Lagos’ Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) on November 5, after he attempted to retrieve a consignment of 700 grams of “Loud,” a potent strain of cannabis. Following his arrest, a search of his residence in Lekki yielded drug paraphernalia, including a cannabis grinder, NDLEA’s spokesperson, Femi Babafemi, confirmed on Sunday.
The agency’s recent anti-narcotic operations went far beyond Lagos. In a collaborative effort with Nigerian Customs and other security agencies, NDLEA intercepted 31.75 million pills of Voltron, a powerful opioid misrepresented as diclofenac sodium, concealed in a container imported from India at Lagos’ Apapa Seaport on November 6. Additionally, an attempt by suspect Orji Ogbonna Nnaorji to smuggle 32.5 kg of codeine syrup and 5.7 kg of cannabis into London concealed within tiger nut cargo was foiled, leading to his arrest at a warehouse in Lagos’ Ajao Estate.
Further operations across multiple states resulted in the seizure of a significant haul of narcotics. In Kwara State, NDLEA recovered 162,800 opioid pills, including tramadol and diazepam, in a series of raids involving suspects across Ilorin and Moro areas on November 8. In Abuja, operatives intercepted a truck carrying 755.5 kg of cannabis on the Abaji-Kwali Road on November 7, disguised under empty noodle cartons. Other regions, including Plateau, Taraba, Kaduna, Edo, and Ondo, saw the arrest of suspects with large volumes of cannabis and opioids, underscoring NDLEA’s broadened commitment to tackling Nigeria’s drug crisis.
