Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have apprehended two drug kingpins at Port Harcourt International Airport and Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, who collectively excreted 125 wraps of heroin.
Major Drug Trafficking Arrests
1. Arrest at Port Harcourt International Airport
According to NDLEA spokesperson Femi Babafemi, operatives intercepted 30-year-old Onyekwonike Elochuckwu Sylvanus on February 2, 2025, as he arrived on a Qatar Airways flight from Doha via Abuja.
- The suspect was caught with a Sierra Leonean passport under the name Kargbo Mohamed Foday, but investigations revealed he also holds a Nigerian passport under his original name.
- A body scan confirmed he had ingested drugs, leading to his placement under excretion observation.
- Over the course of five excretions, he expelled 62 wraps of heroin weighing 1.348kg.
- He admitted to using dual identities to facilitate his drug trafficking operations between Thailand, Pakistan, Iran, and West African countries.
Babafemi added that Sylvanus had been in the drug trade full-time since 2017 after his clothing and shoe business collapsed.
2. Arrest at Lagos Airport
The second suspect, James Chinoso, 48, was arrested on February 1, 2025, upon arrival at Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, from Madagascar via Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
- A body scan confirmed the presence of drugs in his system.
- Under observation, he excreted 63 wraps of heroin with a total weight of 909 grams.
- He claimed to have turned to drug trafficking after his phone accessories business in Liberia failed.
Other NDLEA Operations and Seizures
1. Intercepted Shipments of Cannabis from the U.S.
- NDLEA operatives at a courier firm in Lagos seized 2.82kg of Loud (a synthetic cannabis strain) imported from the United States, which was destined for Lagos.
- Another operation on February 6, 2025, uncovered 80 ampoules of pentazocine injection (225g) hidden in cartons and bound for Canada.
2. Kano State Drug Busts
- On February 3, 2025, NDLEA operatives arrested Usaini Salisu and Yahaya Mu’azu, both 23 years old, at Gadar Tamburawa, Kano. They recovered 15,396 pills of tramadol hidden in a gas cylinder.
- On the same day, a female suspect, Chioma Okeke, 35, was caught with 27 blocks of skunk (a type of cannabis) weighing 15kg at Sabon Gari, Kano.
3. Kogi State Drug Interceptions
- On February 8, 2025, NDLEA operatives intercepted 12,800 pills of tramadol (250mg) along the Kabba-Obajana Highway in Kogi State. The suspect, Salisu Basiru, 33, was arrested.
- In a separate seizure at the same checkpoint, authorities confiscated 65 parcels of Colorado (a synthetic cannabis strain) weighing 1.6kg, bound for Jigawa State. The suspect, Rufai Hassan, 32, was taken into custody.
NDLEA’s Ongoing Crackdown on Drug Trafficking
The NDLEA continues to intensify efforts against drug smuggling networks, particularly targeting international drug syndicates and local trafficking operations.
NDLEA Chairman Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd.) has reiterated the agency’s zero-tolerance approach toward drug-related crimes, promising that all individuals involved will face prosecution.
These latest arrests highlight the growing sophistication of traffickers and the NDLEA’s commitment to dismantling drug cartels operating within and outside Nigeria.
