In a press release issued on Sunday, 13th April 2025, Femi Babafemi, Director of Media and Advocacy at the NDLEA Headquarters in Abuja, reported the agency’s latest significant drug interdiction operations. Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have successfully arrested a 41-year-old ex-convict and Malaysian returnee, Ndubuisi Udatu (also known as Richard), for attempting to smuggle methamphetamine into Nigeria.
Udatu was apprehended on Monday, 7th April 2025, at an NDLEA checkpoint along the Ngurore-Yola road in Adamawa state. He was found in possession of two large music speakers that were used to conceal four parcels of methamphetamine, weighing a total of 2.7 kilograms. The illicit drugs were intended for distribution in Yola, Mubi, Adamawa state, and even across the border into Cameroon.
During questioning, Ndubuisi revealed that he had returned to Nigeria after serving a prison sentence in Malaysia for similar drug trafficking offenses. In addition to the drugs, he was also found with a sum of N22,300 in cash, which is now under investigation as part of the ongoing case.
In a separate operation, NDLEA officers, working in collaboration with Customs personnel, intercepted a major drug consignment at the Nigeria-Cameroon border in Mfum, Cross River state. The trafficker, 35-year-old Odoh Peter Ikechukwu, was arrested with 8,740 ampoules of opioids, weighing 395 kilograms. The haul included a dangerous mix of substances, such as 1,080 ampoules of fentanyl injection, 2,160 ampoules of morphine sulphate injection, 3,010 ampoules of phenobarbital sulphate injection, 2,160 ampoules of pethidine injection, and 330 ampoules of midazolam injection. These drugs are known to pose serious health risks, especially fentanyl, which has been a growing concern due to its potency and potential for overdose.
Meanwhile, in Kano, NDLEA operatives made a significant arrest on Friday, 11th April 2025, when they apprehended 27-year-old Aliyu Ibrahim with 20 ATM cards and 25,600 pills of tramadol (225mg and 250mg) in the Bachirawa area. Further investigation led to the arrest of 48-year-old Gambo Lawan in a follow-up operation at the Wazobia motor park in Gwagwalada, FCT, Abuja. Lawan was found with 8,960 tramadol pills, seized during a routine NDLEA checkpoint inspection along the Gwagwalada expressway on 7th April.
Additionally, on the same day, NDLEA officers recovered 124 kilograms of cannabis, also known as skunk, from the boot of a Lexus car marked KTU 54 CU. The driver, 58-year-old Ademiluyi Adedapo Collins, was arrested along the Mokwa-Jebba road in Niger state. The 11 jumbo bags of cannabis were carefully packaged for distribution and have since been confiscated.
NDLEA’s War Against Drug Abuse: Community Engagement and Ongoing Vigilance in the Fight Against Trafficking
As part of their ongoing efforts to combat drug abuse in Nigeria, the NDLEA has also been conducting public awareness campaigns through its War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) program. In the past week, WADA lectures were delivered to students and staff at several schools, including New Era Secondary School in Anambra, Promise Land College in Lagos, and Cherryfield College in Abuja, as well as institutions such as the Federal Polytechnic in Ogbomoso, Oyo state. The Kwara state command also visited the Oloro of Oro kingdom, Oba Joel Olaniyi Oyatoye Titiloye Olufayo II, to engage the community in drug abuse awareness activities.
In response to these successful operations, NDLEA Chairman/CEO, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), commended the efforts of the agency’s officers in Adamawa, Cross River, FCT, Kano, and Niger state. He urged them and their colleagues nationwide to maintain their vigilance and continue their offensive actions against drug cartels while ensuring that drug demand reduction efforts remain equally robust.
Stay informed and vigilant in the fight against drug abuse. Visit LouisaOlaniyi.com.ng for more updates on NDLEA’s ongoing operations and initiatives to curb drug trafficking. Share this story to raise awareness and help spread the message about the importance of community involvement in combatting drug abuse.
