in Nigeria News
Lagos, Nigeria — October 2024 — A 41-year-old Canadian woman, Adrienne Munju, was arrested by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) in Lagos for attempting to smuggle a large consignment of “Canadian Loud,” a potent strain of synthetic cannabis. Munju was detained during the inward clearance of passengers on a KLM flight arriving from Canada on Thursday, October 3, 2024.
In a joint examination of her luggage, NDLEA officials discovered 74 parcels of the illicit substance weighing 35.20 kilograms, concealed in two of Munju’s three bags. Munju, who was traveling to Nigeria for the first time, confessed in her statement that she had been recruited via an online platform to traffic the drugs. She was promised 10,000 Canadian dollars upon successful delivery in Lagos, which she intended to use to fund her ongoing master’s degree in Canada.
Meanwhile, NDLEA operatives in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, intercepted a major haul of opioids. Thirteen million, two hundred ninety-eight thousand (13,298,000) pills, including Tramadol, Tapentadol, and Carisoprodol, along with over 338,000 bottles of codeine-based cough syrup, were seized. The drugs, concealed in three containers originating from India, have an estimated street value of over N9 billion. The operation was carried out during a 100% joint cargo examination with Nigerian Customs and other port authorities on October 2 and 3, 2024.
On the same day, NDLEA operatives at Tincan Seaport in Lagos uncovered another 100 parcels of “Canadian Loud” weighing 50 kilograms. The drugs were hidden inside a container with four imported vehicles, including a Toyota Sienna bus. The container had previously been cleared but was later traced to a warehouse in Ikorodu, where the drugs were found. A suspect, Abubakar Shuaibu Ibrahim, was taken into custody in connection with the seizure.
In Taraba, NDLEA agents intercepted a commercial bus traveling from Onitsha to Jalingo, which was found to be carrying large quantities of opioids, including tramadol, Rohypnol, and codeine-based syrup concealed in hidden compartments. Two suspects, Pako Thomas and Emmanuel Anyigor, were arrested. Additionally, another suspect, Chibuzor Okafor, was apprehended in Wukari on October 2, 2024, for trafficking 80 blocks of cannabis weighing 38 kilograms hidden in bags of garri.
In Lagos, a suspect, Bolanle Ajenifuja, was arrested on October 4, 2024, for possession of 700 liters of “skuchies” — a mixture of local chapman and illicit drugs. The NDLEA also dismantled two large cannabis farms in Edo and Ondo states, destroying over 9,966 kilograms of the substance.
Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), Chairman of the NDLEA, commended the agency’s successful operations, highlighting the balance between drug supply reduction and drug demand reduction efforts. The NDLEA continues its nationwide efforts against drug abuse and illicit trafficking, while also increasing awareness through educational campaigns in schools, workplaces, and communities.