NDLEA records seizure of 146.820kg of illicit drugs in 6 months

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) Command, has recorded a seizure of 146.820 kilograms of drugs from 33 suspected traffickers in the last six months, the department has said.

Garba Ahmadu, the NDLEA airport Commander, who disclosed this in a chat with newsmen as the world celebrates International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking, said 28 males and 5 females were nabbed with various Illicit drugs carefully concealment in the different ways.

The drugs include cocaine, methamphetamine, cannabis sativa, heroine, and ephedrine.

According to the NDLEA commander, the drugs were concealed in tomato cans, baby diapers, food stuff, body lotion containers, and ingestion.

Giving a breakdown of the drugs, he said, “cocaine 15.580 kg; heroin 14.720kg; cannabis Sativa 54.140kg; methamphetamine 34.240kg, and ephedrine 28.140”.

” We had three internal concealments- that’s the ones that were swallowed”.

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Speaking on cartels who plant drugs in passengers’ luggage in connivance with airline staff and ground handling staff, Ahmadu advised airlines to always deploy senior officials to airports for baggage tagging to avoid the Kano incident.

Recall that Zainab Habibu, a student of Maitama Sule University, Kano, was arrested after a banned drug, Tramadol, was found in her bag. She claimed it was planted in her luggage by unknown persons.

The student had travelled from Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport in company with her mother, Maryam Aliyu, and sister, Hajara Aliyu, but she was arrested over allegations that a bag bearing her name tag contained an unlawful substance.

After investigation, the lady was found innocent but unfortunate as some workers at the airport planted the drugs in her luggage.

In 2016 at the MMIA, NDLEA seized a total of 779.916kg of different drugs. In 2017 this rose to 12666.400kg , and 5375.985 kg in 2018. Total number of suspects arrested: 2016, 103; 2017, 85 and 2018, 93.

IFEOMA OKEKE

Ifeoma Okeke-Korieocha is the Aviation Correspondent at BusinessDay Media Limited, publishers of BusinessDay Newspapers. She is also the Deputy Editor, BusinessDay Weekender Magazine, the Saturday Weekend edition of BusinessDay. She holds a BSC in Mass Communication from the prestigious University of Nigeria, Nsukka and a Masters degree in Marketing at the University of Lagos. As the lead writer on the aviation desk, Ifeoma is responsible and in charge of the three weekly aviation and travel pages in BusinessDay and BDSunday. She also overseas and edits all pages of BusinessDay Saturday Weekender. She has written various investigative, features and news stories in aviation and business related issues and has been severally nominated for award in the category of Aviation Writer of the Year by the Nigeria Media Nite-Out awards; one of the Nigeria’s most prestigious media awards ceremonies. Ifeoma is a one-time winner of the prestigious Nigeria Media Merit Award under the 'Aviation Writer of the Year' Category. She is the 2025 Eloy Award winner under the Print Media Journalist category. She has undergone several journalism trainings by various prestigious organisations. Ifeoma is also a fellow of the Female Reporters Leadership Fellowship of the Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism.