The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested a former convict and Malaysian returnee, Ndubuisi Udatu, for attempting to traffic drugs concealed in large music speakers. According to NDLEA spokesperson Femi Babafemi, Udatu, also known as Richard, was caught with 2.7 kilograms of methamphetamine hidden in two new speakers.
The drugs were allegedly intended for distribution in Yola and Mubi in Adamawa State and across the border into Cameroon.
Udatu was intercepted on April 7 by NDLEA officers at a checkpoint in Namtari, along the Ngurore-Yola road. Authorities also recovered a cash sum of N22,300 from him.
The suspect reportedly confessed to returning to Nigeria to resume his drug trade after serving a prison sentence for drug trafficking in Malaysia.
In a separate operation, NDLEA operatives working with the Nigeria Customs Service at the Nigeria-Cameroon border in Mfum, Cross River State, arrested a 33-year-old trans-border trafficker, Peter Odoh. He was found with 8,740 ampoules of various opioids, weighing 395 kilograms.
The seizure included fentanyl, morphine sulphate, phenobarbital sulphate, pethidine, and midazolam injections.
In Kano, NDLEA officers arrested a 27-year-old man, Aliyu Ibrahim, on April 11. He was found in possession of 20 ATM cards and 25,600 pills of tramadol in the Bachirawa area.
A follow-up operation in Abuja led to the arrest of Gambo Lawan, 48, at Wazobia motor park in Gwagwalada.
This came after 8,960 tramadol pills were seized during a routine check along the Gwagwalada expressway on April 7.
On the same day, NDLEA recovered 124 kilograms of cannabis, also known as skunk, packaged in 11 large bags.
The drugs were found in the boot of a Lexus car driven by 58-year-old Ademiluyi Adedapo along the Mokwa-Jebba road in Niger State.
The NDLEA continues to combine its drug enforcement operations with its War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) campaigns across communities, schools, and worship centres. NDLEA Chairman Buba Marwa praised the efforts of officers across the Adamawa, Cross River, FCT, Kano, and Niger State commands.