NIGERIA — The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested two significant drug traffickers attempting to smuggle heroin into Nigeria through the Port Harcourt International Airport and Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos.
Arrest at Port Harcourt Airport:
On February 2, 2025, 30-year-old Onyekwonike Elochuckwu Sylvanus, who used a Sierra Leonean passport under the alias Kargbo Mohamed Foday, was arrested at Port Harcourt airport. He was part of a Qatar Airways flight arriving from Doha via Abuja. A body scan revealed illegal narcotics, leading to his placement under excretion observation. Over the course of five excretions, Sylvanus expelled 62 wraps of heroin, totaling 1.348 kilograms.
Sylvanus, an experienced trafficker, is known to shuttle between Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Thailand, Pakistan, Iran, and West Africa, smuggling drugs across international borders. He confessed to abandoning his clothing and shoe business in 2017 to focus solely on drug trafficking.
Arrest at Lagos Airport:
On February 1, 2025, 48-year-old James Herbert Chinoso was apprehended at Lagos airport after arriving from Madagascar via Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. A body scan revealed that he had hidden heroin internally. Chinoso excreted 63 wraps of heroin, weighing 909 grams. He admitted that financial struggles following the collapse of his phone accessories business in Liberia led him to enter the illicit drug trade.
Seizures of Synthetic Cannabis and Tramadol:
On February 6, 2025, officers from the Directorate of Operations and General Investigation (DOGI) intercepted two packages of “Loud” – a potent synthetic cannabis strain – being smuggled from the United States. The 2.82 kilograms of cannabis were headed for Lagos. On the same day, 80 ampoules of pentazocine injection, weighing 225 grams each, were discovered hidden in crates bound for Canada.
Further Arrests in Kano and Kogi States:
In Kano, agents arrested 23-year-olds Usaini Salisu and Yahaya Mu’azu, who were transporting 15,396 tramadol pills concealed inside a gas cylinder. On the same day, Chioma Okeke, 35, was arrested in Sabon Gari with 27 blocks of 15-kg skunk.
Authorities also intercepted 12,800 tramadol pills intended for Shuwarin in Jigawa State in Kogi State. Additionally, on February 8, Salisu Basiru (33) was arrested along the Kabba-Obajana highway, while another trafficker, Rufai Hassan (32), was apprehended with 65 packages of Colorado synthetic cannabis, totaling 1.6 kilograms.
NDLEA’s Efforts and Praise for Officers:
Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa, Chairman/CEO of NDLEA, commended the agency’s officers for their consistent efforts in tackling drug trafficking. He praised the hard work of the teams at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Port Harcourt International Airport (PHIA), and operations in Kano and Kogi, noting that their vigilance continues to dismantle drug networks and prevent dangerous substances from entering Nigerian communities.
