NDLEA Uncovers Drug Cartel Hidden in Dispatch Business, Arrests Riders in Abuja

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency has intensified its crackdown on drug trafficking, arresting multiple suspects across various states in what appears to be a sweeping nationwide operation. Among those apprehended were three commercial dispatch riders accused of distributing illicit substances across different locations in Abuja.

According to iReporter Online, the suspects—identified as Sabo Sule, 24; Samuel Nnamdi, 28; and Idris Jibrin, 28—were intercepted during intelligence-driven stop-and-search operations carried out on July 30 in Gwarimpa, Jahi, and Galadimawa districts of the Federal Capital Territory. The operatives reportedly recovered 149.8 grams of Canadian Loud, a potent strain of cannabis, from the suspects, who used motorcycles typically employed for dispatch logistics.

The agency also intercepted a consignment of narcotics concealed within 71 vehicle side mirrors destined for Libreville, Gabon, through the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos. The shipment, which included 57,420 pills of tramadol (225mg) and 68 pellets of cocaine weighing 2.60 kilograms in total, led to the arrest of at least three suspects. A popular cargo handler, identified as Ihekweme Osinachi Benedict, was taken into custody, followed by the arrest of Uzochukwu Godspower Chukwurah, in whose residence operatives discovered additional cocaine parcels.

Further enforcement actions took place at the Trade Fair Complex in Ojo, Lagos, where a businesswoman, Nwafor Nneka, was arrested for allegedly concealing 100 grams of cocaine and 300 grams of phenacetine (a drug-cutting agent) in lipstick tubes intended for export to Equatorial Guinea. Nneka allegedly confessed that her husband, Remigus Nwafor, who is now at large, handled the concealment process.

In a separate operation in Mushin, Lagos, officers arrested a suspect identified as Joseph Michael with 3.3kg of synthetic cannabis known as Colorado. Another suspect, Ibrahim Sulaiman, was apprehended in Iwaya, Yaba, with 16.5 litres of skuchies, a local mixture of cannabis-infused drinks.

In Benue State, 100,000 tramadol capsules were seized from a 37-year-old suspect, Hussein Yusuf, at a checkpoint along the Vandeikya-Ogoja road. In Edo State, operatives raided a warehouse in Ekpoma, arresting 44-year-old William Alabi and recovering 233.5kg of cannabis.

At the Muhammadu Buhari International Airport in Maiduguri, Borno State, a consignment of 160 tramadol pills was found hidden in a passenger’s footwear. The suspect, Umar Aminu, 38, was arrested upon arrival.

Further south in Ogun State, a female suspect, Yahaya Aminat Seyi, was arrested in the Oja Odan area with over 7,000 opioid pills. In Bayelsa State, Chief Emeka Opara and Onuoha Chidinma were arrested in Amassoma, where 41,705 tramadol capsules were recovered from their shop and home.

In another major seizure, 90kg of cannabis, 36.3 grams of methamphetamine, a Toyota bus, and over ₦228,000 in cash were recovered from two suspects, Kabiru Ayinde and Roqeeb Adekanmbi, in Ile-Ogbo, Osun State, on July 28.

Authorities say the ongoing operations underscore the agency’s commitment to dismantling drug distribution networks across Nigeria and curbing the escalating abuse of narcotics.