The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has dismantled two major cross-border drug trafficking syndicates, seizing cocaine, opioids, and other narcotics valued at billions of naira.
Following months of meticulous intelligence gathering and surveillance, NDLEA officials announced the arrest of six individuals alleged to be central to the syndicates’ operations.
According to NDLEA spokesperson Femi Babafemi, these arrests are part of the agency’s ongoing commitment to combat illicit drug trafficking and safeguard national security.
The syndicates are composed of individuals operating from various locations in Nigeria, including Mubi in Adamawa, Onitsha in Anambra, and Lagos, as well as Cameroonian affiliates.
NDLEA operations
- The arrested suspects, identified as Ibrahim Bawuro, Najib Ibrahim, Ibrahim Umar, Nelson Udechukwu, Ezeh Amaechi, and Adejumo Ishola, are believed to be the primary suppliers of drugs to terror groups within Nigeria and Cameroon.
- The group’s operations spanned the northern and eastern regions of the country, with drugs often sourced from Onitsha, packaged and concealed within specially modified vehicles, and transported overnight to evade detection.
- One operation began in early October, with NDLEA officials tracking Bawuro and Najib as they traveled from Onitsha, where they had allegedly secured a new shipment of drugs. On October 8, they were intercepted on the Jalingo-Yola expressway in Taraba State.
- In a desperate attempt to escape, the suspects abandoned their vehicle, a Toyota Avensis sedan, but were ultimately detained. A subsequent search of the vehicle uncovered 276,500 tramadol pills, a highly addictive opioid frequently trafficked in the region.
Other arrests
This operation was followed by arrests in Delta and Anambra states, where Amaechi and Udechukwu were also apprehended, marking a coordinated multi-state operation by NDLEA’s Directorate of Intelligence.
In a separate sting, NDLEA operatives arrested another suspected ringleader, Ishola Adejumo, at the Seme border in Lagos on November 5. Adejumo was reportedly returning from Ghana with 3.3 kilograms of cocaine and 600 grams of synthetic cannabis.
The arrest followed several months of intelligence operations monitoring Adejumo’s alleged cross-border smuggling activities.
NDLEA’s anti-drug campaign goes beyond these arrests, with personnel nationwide actively engaged in the War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) initiative. NDLEA officers conduct awareness campaigns across schools, workplaces, and religious institutions, aiming to curb drug abuse and reduce the demand that fuels trafficking networks.
NDLEA Chairman Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa has commended agency personnel for their vigilance and determination to protect Nigerian communities, asserting that continued enforcement and education are key to dismantling organized drug syndicates and reducing addiction risks across the country.