Four arrested as NDLEA raids Lagos warehouse, seizes ‘82,000’ bottles of codeine

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) says its operatives have raided a warehouse containing a large consignment of codeine-based syrup.

The anti-drug agency said the warehouse was discovered in the Kirikiri area of Lagos state.

In a statement released on Sunday, Femi Babafemi, NDLEA spokesperson, said four suspects were arrested in connection with the warehouse.

“NDLEA operatives in Lagos state have uncovered an expansive warehouse stocked with a large consignment of codeine-based syrup, located at Comfort Oboh area of Kirikiri, where four persons connected with the importation and distribution of the opioid were arrested during an intelligence-led raid on the facility,” Babafemi said.

“Those arrested include: Kingsley Amanambu Obumneke, 38; Emeka Emmanuel, 48; Bonaventure Ugochukwu, 59; and Martin Dike, 56, while a total of 82,000 bottles of the opioid worth more than N600 million in street value, Toyota Tacuma truck and two buses used for distributing the substance were recovered from the premises on Monday 10th June 2024 when NDLEA officers conducted the operation.”

The NDLEA also arrested another suspect — Ibrahim Abdulhamid — with 29,100 pills of tramadol and other opioids as well as 3.9 litres of codeine syrup in the Alaba area of Ojo LGA, Lagos.

OTHER ARRESTS

In Abia state, NDLEA operatives raided an alleged drug cartel and arrested two suspects — Kelechi Monday Nwaobasi and Chinwe Rose Nwaobasi — for allegedly running the cartel.

The suspects were nabbed after NDLEA operatives raided their hideout in Abia and seized “methamphetamine consignments worth over N4.1 billion in street value”.

In Ekiti state, the NDLEA operatives destroyed 7.37 hectares of farmland used for planting psychoactive substances.

In Edo state, hectares of farmland used for planting cannabis were destroyed in Uhen forest, Ovia north-east LGA.

The NDLEA operatives also arrested one Emmanuel Ogechi with 11,200 pills of tramadol along Otukpo-Enugu road in Benue state.

Two suspects — Muhammad Abba and Samson Ehizogie — were also arrested with 3,550 bottles of ‘Akuskura’ a new mixture of psychotropic substances.