Arrest of Egwu Phillip Inya
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested Egwu Phillip Inya, a 42-year-old suspected drug trafficker claiming to be a building engineer, for attempting to retrieve illicit drug consignments concealed in pressure machines imported from South Africa.
NDLEA spokesman, Femi Babafemi, disclosed that Egwu was apprehended on Monday, December 2, 2024, at Okeyson Motor Park, Enugu. He was collecting three pressure machines containing parcels of Loud, a synthetic strain of cannabis weighing 7.4 kilograms.
Babafemi explained: “The consignments arrived at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Ikeja, Lagos, on November 29, 2024. Based on credible intelligence, NDLEA operatives at the MMIA monitored the shipment through the clearing process and up to a logistics company’s warehouse outside the airport. The point of collection was later changed to Enugu, leading to Egwu’s arrest during a follow-up operation.”
Seizure of Tramadol and Cannabis
In other operations:
- NDLEA operatives intercepted 511,000 tramadol pills from a Siena vehicle at Hildi, Askira Uba Road, in the early hours of Friday, December 6. The occupants abandoned the vehicle upon noticing they were being pursued.
- Two suspects, Olanrewaju Alale (48) and Babatunde Kayode Ijadahun (55), were arrested on the Ise-Emure road while transporting 108 jumbo bags of cannabis weighing 1,323 kilograms in a J5 bus marked EPE 958 XJ. The consignment was reportedly en route to Ondo State for eventual distribution in the North.
- Adekunle Yusuf (33) was arrested with 704 kilograms of cannabis, concealed in white sacks, on Idere Road, Igboora, on December 6.
Arrests in Lagos and Ikeja
- Ramata Bola Adeyemo, a 65-year-old grandmother, was arrested on December 6 at Odunfa Street, Lagos Island. Operatives recovered 20.6 liters of codeine-based syrup from her.
- Alhaji Lawan Manga was arrested on December 5 at Ogundana Street, Ikeja, with 4.7 kilograms of cannabis and 1.3 kilograms of tramadol.
WADA Sensitization Campaigns
In addition to enforcement efforts, NDLEA continued its War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) sensitization campaigns nationwide. Recent educational initiatives included:
- Oyo State: Progressive Secondary School, Ado Awaye.
- Osun State: Muslim Grammar School, Ede.
- Borno State: Government Girls College, Maiduguri.
- Rivers State: Community Secondary School, Ogale.
- Enugu State: Santa Maria Secondary School, Igogoro.
- Kano State: Chiranci Upper Basic Junior Secondary School, Bichi.
- Lagos State: Awareness lectures for National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) members at Orile Agege.
Commendation for NDLEA Efforts
The NDLEA Chairman/CEO, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), commended the officers and commands across the country, including those in MMIA, Adamawa, Ekiti, Lagos, and Oyo, for their operational successes. Marwa praised the agency’s balanced approach to combating drug abuse through both supply reduction and demand reduction strategies.
He stated: “The NDLEA remains steadfast in its commitment to curbing the menace of drug trafficking and abuse in Nigeria. The successes recorded in recent operations reflect our dedication to protecting the health and safety of our citizens.”
