By News Editor
After months of intelligence gathering, the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has successfully dismantled two major cross-border drug trafficking syndicates. The syndicates were allegedly supplying narcotics to terror groups operating in both Nigeria and Cameroon.
NDLEA operatives arrested six cartel leaders across different states in Nigeria, and billions of naira worth of drugs, including cocaine and opioids, were recovered during the operation.
The leaders arrested include Ibrahim Bawuro, Najib Ibrahim, Ibrahim Umar, Nelson Udechukwu Anayo, Ezeh Amaechi Martin, and Adejumo Elijah Ishola. The syndicates had been operating between several locations, including Mubi in Adamawa, Onitsha in Anambra, and Lagos, with links to Cameroonian operatives.
The arrests were made after NDLEA operatives tracked the movement of drugs across Nigeria. For instance, Bawuro and Najib were apprehended in October 2024 in Taraba after attempting to transport large quantities of tramadol from Onitsha. During their arrest, 276,500 tramadol pills were recovered from their vehicle.
Subsequent operations led to the capture of other key figures in the syndicate, including Ezeh Amaechi Martin and Udechukwu Nelson Anayo. They were involved in sourcing and packing drugs for transport to various destinations across Nigeria and Cameroon.
Adejumo Elijah Ishola, another prominent cartel leader, was arrested in November 2024 at the Seme border in Lagos while attempting to smuggle 3.3 kilograms of cocaine and synthetic cannabis from Ghana into Nigeria.
In a separate bust at the Apapa seaport in Lagos, NDLEA operatives intercepted 31.75 million pills of Voltron, a controlled opioid, hidden inside a container from India. The drugs were disguised as diclofenac sodium tablets.
At the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) in Lagos, officers seized 700 grams of cannabis from a suspect and arrested Orji Ogbonna Nnaorji for attempting to export codeine syrup and cannabis to London.
In Kwara state, NDLEA operatives seized large quantities of opioids, including tramadol, diazepam, and codeine syrup, from four suspects. Other notable seizures occurred in Plateau, Kano, Abuja, Taraba, and Edo states, with a large amount of cannabis recovered.
These coordinated operations highlight the NDLEA’s ongoing commitment to combating drug trafficking and its links to organized crime and terrorism. The agency’s efforts are essential in protecting national security and preventing the spread of illicit drugs across borders.
The NDLEA continues to follow leads in an effort to dismantle further drug syndicates and bring those involved to justice.
