In a major crackdown on drug trafficking, the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested a Thailand returnee, Oguejiofor Nnaemeka Simonpeter, for importing 13.30 kilograms of heroin worth over N3.192 billion.
The agency also intercepted large consignments of opioids with a combined monetary value of N22.7 billion at three seaports.
Simonpeter, a 29-year-old Mechanical Engineering graduate, was apprehended on October 7, 2024, while attempting to smuggle the illicit drug concealed in six backpacks and packed into two big suitcases out of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos.
According to NDLEA spokesperson Femi Babafemi, Simonpeter had left Thailand on October 3 and stopped over in Doha before heading to Lagos, where he attempted to reroute his luggage to Nigeria to avoid security checks.
The NDLEA also reported significant seizures in other parts of the country; Anambra where 50,000 tablets of tramadol 200mg recovered from Okelue Chidera, Edo;70 bags of cannabis weighing 1,050kg recovered, and Monday Akele,arrested.
These successes are part of the NDLEA’s ongoing War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) initiatives, which include sensitization activities in schools, worship centers, workplaces, and communities.
NDLEA Chairman/Chief Executive Officer Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd) commended the officers involved, highlighting the agency’s balanced approach to drug supply reduction and demand reduction efforts.
