The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested Oguejiofor Nnaemeka Simonpeter, a returnee from Thailand, for attempting to smuggle 13.30 kilograms of heroin worth over ₦3.192 billion through the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos.
In a statement released by NDLEA spokesperson Femi Babafemi, Oguejiofor, a 29-year-old Mechanical Engineering graduate from Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University, was apprehended on October 7, 2024. The drugs were found hidden in six backpacks packed into two large suitcases.
Oguejiofor reportedly traveled from Thailand on October 3 via Qatar Airways, stopping in Doha before arriving in Lagos. He rerouted his luggage from Accra, Ghana, to Lagos, hoping to evade security checks. However, NDLEA officers intercepted the illicit goods at the airport. Oguejiofor admitted he was hired to deliver the drugs for a fee of $7,000.
In addition to this, NDLEA operatives intercepted large consignments of opioids valued at ₦22.7 billion at three seaports. The seizures, including 32.6 million pills of Tramadol and bottles of codeine-based syrup, were made at Lekki Deep Seaport, Apapa Seaport, and Port Harcourt Port Complex between October 7 and October 11, 2024.
In separate operations, NDLEA officers arrested Okelue Chidera with 50,000 tablets of Tramadol in Anambra and seized 1,050kg of cannabis in Edo State. The agency also continued its War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) sensitization programs across schools and communities.
NDLEA Chairman, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), commended the agency’s efforts in balancing drug supply reduction and drug demand reduction.
