By Ken Chiwendu
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) says operatives of the agency have successfully intercepted a 42-year-old Indian woman, Ms. Neetu Neetu, at the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport (MAKIA), Kano, for attempting to smuggle 72 parcels of heroin disguised as chocolates.
NDLEA Spokesman,Femi Babafemi who disclosed this to newsmen on Sunday said the drugs, which were sealed in wafer wraps and packaged as chocolates, weighed a total of 11 kilograms.
According to him,the interception occurred during the inward clearance of Qatar Airways flight QR1431, which arrived from Bangkok, Thailand via Vietnam and Doha, on Friday, 14th March 2025.
The NDLEA, acting on credible intelligence, conducted a thorough search of Neetu’s luggage, resulting in the discovery of the heroin.
In a separate operation in Kano on Thursday, 20th March, a 45-year-old suspect, Michael Ogundele, was arrested with a 50-litre steel gas cylinder at Gadar Tamburawa, along the Zaria-Kano road. Upon further inspection using welding tools, 50,000 pills of tramadol 225mg were recovered from the cylinder.
Additionally, NDLEA operatives arrested 40-year-old Sunday Ogar on Wednesday, 19th March, in Kano with 27kg of skunk, a strain of cannabis. On Tuesday, 18th March, Khadijah Abdullahi, 40, was arrested with 424 bottles of codeine-based syrup in Lungun Bulala Yalwa area.
In Lagos, Olumuyiwa Kolawole and Samod Adisa were arrested with 67.5kg of skunk in Mushin, while 100.8kg of the same drug was recovered from two fleeing suspects in the Anifowoshe area of Mushin. On Tuesday, 18th March, Isah Idris was apprehended in Apapa with 4.5kg of skunk, 600 grams of tramadol 225mg, and 30 litres of codeine syrup. Another suspect, Yahaya Mohamed, was arrested the same day in Ikotun with various quantities of cocaine, heroin, and methamphetamine.
Across Nigeria, NDLEA commands and formations continued their War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) campaign, conducting sensitization lectures in schools, markets, workplaces, and religious centers. These included engagements at Chrisland School in Lagos, Hakimi Secondary School in Niger State, Marist Comprehensive College in Anambra State, and Government Day Secondary Schools in Sokoto and Adamawa States, among others.
The NDLEA Chairman and CEO, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd) commended the officers and men of MAKIA, Lagos, and Kano Commands for their successful operations, noting the balance achieved in both drug supply and demand reduction efforts.
He urged them to continue their relentless efforts in combatting drug trafficking and abuse.
