NDLEA Busts Trans-Border Drug Cartel, Arrests Four in Onitsha, Keffi

NDLEA Busts Trans-Border Drug Cartel, Arrests Four in Onitsha, Keffi

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has dismantled a trans-border drug trafficking syndicate, arresting four members in intelligence-led operations. Multi-million-naira worth of opioids, including tramadol concealed in vehicle compartments, methamphetamine hidden in auto spare parts, and other illicit substances, were recovered during raids across Anambra, Cross River, Nasarawa, Taraba, Ekiti, and Lagos States.

Major Interdictions and Arrests

Acting on weeks of intelligence gathering, NDLEA operatives intercepted a Sienna bus with registration number ABJ 452 HG along Nasarawa-Toto road in Keffi, Nasarawa State, at 6:00 a.m. on January 27, 2025. The vehicle, which was en route from Onitsha, Anambra State, to Yola, Adamawa State, carried two suspects: Zahradeen Adamu, 27, and Abubakar Usman, 44. Another Sienna bus, driven by Abba Usman, 48, was also intercepted.

Upon searching the vehicles, operatives discovered specially constructed steel compartments hidden in the bumper and spare tire spaces. These compartments contained 190,960 pills of tramadol. Further investigations linked the consignment to an Onitsha-based dealer, Kingsley Mbaeri. A follow-up operation led to Mbaeri's arrest at his residence on Uga Street, Onitsha, on January 29. Authorities also recovered two vehicles—a Toyota Corolla (FGG 948 MF) and a Toyota Sienna (GWA 23 HH)—from his home.

In another operation on February 4, NDLEA’s Intelligence Department intercepted a commercial bus at the Abaji checkpoint, FCT Abuja. A passenger, Chimezie Henry Ojingwa, 32, was found carrying motor spare parts in a black bag. Upon inspection, authorities recovered 404.47 grams of methamphetamine, 506.49 grams of Loud (a potent cannabis strain), and 262.32 grams of dimethyl sulfone, a precursor for mixing meth.

Nationwide Drug Seizures

In Cross River State, NDLEA officers on February 13 intercepted 170,000 tramadol pills on the Ogoja-Abakaliki road, hidden inside a truck driven by Paul Chukwudi, 31. Additionally, on February 11, operatives at the Apapa seaport in Lagos recovered 85,400 bottles of codeine-based syrup from a container imported from India.

In Borno State, on February 14, two suspects, Halilu Isa and Gambo Umaru, were arrested on Bama Road, Maiduguri, with 60 compressed blocks of cannabis (skunk) weighing 72kg. In Ekiti State, NDLEA operatives raided a notorious drug joint at Iloda Street, Ikole-Ekiti, on February 11, arresting three suspects—Bala Muhammed, 57; Yahaya Adamu, 55; and Abdullahi Shehu, 30—while seizing 83kg of skunk.

In Lagos, on February 15, a woman identified as Samiat Olabisi Yussuf, 28, was apprehended at her residence in Lekki. Authorities recovered 169.5 liters of nitrous oxide (commonly known as laughing gas) and 111 grams of Loud.

Meanwhile, in Taraba, operatives arrested Ibrahim Usman, 40, with 88kg of Arizona and Ghana Loud in Wukari, and Solomon James, 40, with 44.84kg of the same substances in Takanaba, Sabongari, Jalingo LGA.

WADA Sensitization and Community Engagement

In a continuous effort to curb drug abuse, NDLEA Commands across the country have intensified their War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) campaigns. Sensitization lectures were conducted in multiple schools, including Government Technical College, Oku (Akwa Ibom); Future Leaders Academy, Kishi (Oyo State); Government Secondary School, Bashire (Sokoto); and Jesuit College, Agbado-Ekiti (Ekiti State). In Kano State, the agency organized an enlightenment program for married women in purdah at the Markaz Umar Bn Khattab Centre.

NDLEA Chairman/Chief Executive Officer, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), commended the efforts of the officers involved in these operations. He also lauded the agency’s nationwide commitment to drug awareness and advocacy, reinforcing NDLEA’s dedication to eradicating illicit drug trafficking and abuse across Nigeria.