From Godwin Tsa, Abuja
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested a 42-year-old Indian lady, Ms. Neetu Neetu, at the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport (MAKIA), Kano, with 72 parcels of heroin factory-sealed in wafer wraps and packaged as chocolates.
The class A drug consignment, weighing a total of 11 kilograms, was recovered from Neetu’s luggage after a thorough search, following processed credible intelligence, during an inward clearance of Qatar Airways flight QR1431 from Bangkok, Thailand, via Vietnam and Doha, at the arrival hall of the Kano airport on Friday, 14th March 2025.
In another operation, the anti-narcotic agency recovered tramadol pills concealed in a gas cylinder, as well as cocaine and skunk, in raids across Kano and Lagos.
A statement by the Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, said the arrest of Neetu signifies a growing attempt by drug trafficking organisations to hire white ladies and foreign nationals to move illicit drugs through Nigerian borders, a bid that vigilant NDLEA operatives have consistently frustrated with the aid of modern technological tools and proactive intelligence, according to Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), in his immediate reaction to Neetu’s arrest.
In another interdiction operation in Kano, NDLEA officers on Thursday, 20th March, arrested a 45-year-old suspect, Michael Ogundele, with a 50-litre steel gas cylinder at Gadar Tamburawa, along the Zaria-Kano road.
Based on credible intelligence, welding tools were later used to cut the giant cylinder, after which 50,000 pills of tramadol 225mg concealed in it were extracted.
While Sunday Ogar, 40, was nabbed in the Gunduwawa area of Kano on Wednesday, 19th March, with 27kg of skunk, a strain of cannabis, a female suspect, Khadijah Abdullahi, 40, was arrested with 424 bottles of codeine-based syrup in the Lungun Bulala Yalwa area of the state on Tuesday, 18th March.
In Lagos, the duo of Olumuyiwa Kolawole and Samod Adisa were nabbed with 67.5kg of skunk in Mushin, just as 100.8kg of the same psychoactive substance was recovered from the store of two fleeing suspects in the Anifowoshe area of Mushin, while Isah Idris was arrested in Apapa with 4.5kg of skunk, 600 grams of tramadol 225mg, and 30 litres of codeine syrup on Tuesday, 18th March.
Another suspect, Yahaya Mohamed, was arrested on the same day in the Ikotun area of the state with different quantities of cocaine, heroin, and methamphetamine.
Across the country, NDLEA Commands and formations continued to intensify their War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) social advocacy sensitisation engagements in schools, markets, motor parks, workplaces, and worship centres in the past week.
These include WADA sensitisation lectures to students and staff of Chrisland School, Ikeja, Lagos; Hakimi Secondary School, Mokwa, Niger State; Marist Comprehensive College, Nteje, Anambra State; Ikole City College, Ikole Ekiti, Ekiti State; Government Day Secondary School, Sunane, Sokoto State; and Government Day Secondary School, Jada, Adamawa State, among others.
While commending the officers and men of MAKIA, Lagos, and Kano Commands of the Agency for the arrests and seizures, its Chairman and Chief Executive, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), noted with satisfaction the balance in drug supply and demand reduction efforts of all the formations nationwide, even as he charged them not to relent.