The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has apprehended Oguejiofor Nnaemeka Simonpeter, a 29-year-old Thailand returnee, at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos, for smuggling heroin valued at over N3.1 billion.
The arrest took place on October 7, 2024, as revealed by the NDLEA in an official statement.
Oguejiofor, a graduate of Mechanical Engineering from Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University, Anambra State, arrived in Lagos on October 5, 2024, after flying from Thailand via Qatar Airways.
His journey included a stopover in Doha, and his luggage was initially routed to Accra, Ghana. However, he later requested for the bags to be redirected to Lagos.
Upon retrieving his luggage, NDLEA officers intercepted him and conducted a thorough search. Six backpacks concealed within two large suitcases were discovered, each containing neatly sewn parcels of heroin. The total weight of the heroin amounted to 13.30 kilograms.
In his confession, Oguejiofor admitted to being hired for $7,000 to smuggle the drugs. “I was meant to deliver two parcels in Lagos and four in Accra,” he confessed.
Seizures at seaports
In a separate but related operation, NDLEA officers intercepted large quantities of opioids at the Lekki Deep Seaport, Apapa Seaport, and Port Harcourt Port Complex (Onne) between October 7 and 11, 2024. The seized drugs included 32.6 million tramadol pills, valued at over N12.57 billion, and 1.45 million bottles of codeine-based syrup, worth N10.16 billion.
The total value of the intercepted opioids across the three seaports amounted to N22.7 billion. According to NDLEA, the consignments were flagged through intelligence and subjected to a 100 per cent joint examination with the Nigeria Customs Service and other security agencies.
Other arrests
In addition to these seizures, the NDLEA arrested Okelue Chidera, a 29-year-old suspect, in Anambra State with 50,000 tramadol tablets.
Meanwhile, in Edo State, NDLEA operatives recovered 1,050 kilograms of cannabis at a transit point in Owan West Local Government Area. Another raid in Owan Village led to the arrest of Monday Akele, 38, with 110 kilograms of cannabis.
NDLEA’s fight against drug abuse
The NDLEA also continued its War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) sensitization activities across the country, with educational outreach programs conducted in several schools and communities in Cross River, Akwa Ibom, Niger, Oyo, Ebonyi, Edo, and Abuja. These programs aim to raise awareness about the dangers of drug abuse and the importance of staying drug-free.
Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, praised the officers for their efforts in both drug supply reduction and drug demand reduction initiatives.
“The operational successes and balanced approach of our officers are commendable, especially with the increasing scale of these interceptions,” Marwa said.
