NDLEA Busts Cross-Border Drug Rings, Arrests Six Kingpins

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has successfully dismantled two major cross-border drug syndicates after an extensive intelligence-led operation. This operation, spanning several months of surveillance, led to the seizure of cocaine, opioids, and other narcotics valued at billions of naira, along with the arrest of six key figures in the syndicates.

In a statement released on Sunday, NDLEA spokesperson Femi Babafemi named the arrested individuals as Ibrahim Bawuro, Najib Ibrahim, Ibrahim Umar, Nelson Udechukwu Anayo, Ezeh Amaechi Martin, and Adejumo Elijah Ishola. The suspects, who are based in locations including Mubi in Adamawa State, Onitsha in Anambra State, and Lagos, were reportedly involved in supplying narcotics to terror groups in Nigeria and neighboring Cameroon.

The NDLEA reported that drugs such as tramadol were obtained by Bawuro and Najib from a notorious Onitsha-based supplier, Anayo, before being hidden in vehicles owned by Martin. The drugs were then transported in concealed compartments from Onitsha to the North and Cameroon, often under the cover of night. On October 7, 2024, Bawuro and Najib were arrested in Taraba after purchasing a fresh consignment in Onitsha. NDLEA operatives seized 276,500 tramadol pills from a vehicle the suspects had abandoned on the Jalingo-Yola Expressway.

Subsequent follow-up operations led to the arrests of Martin and Anayo in Delta and Anambra States, with coordinated efforts by NDLEA units across Taraba, Adamawa, Delta, and Anambra States.

In another operation, 37-year-old syndicate leader Adejumo Elijah Ishola was apprehended on November 5 at the Seme border in Lagos while attempting to transport 3.3 kilograms of cocaine and 600 grams of synthetic cannabis from Ghana. This arrest followed a months-long investigation into his cross-border trafficking activities.

Additionally, on November 6, NDLEA operatives in collaboration with Nigeria Customs intercepted a shipment of 31.75 million pills of Voltron, a controlled opioid, disguised as diclofenac sodium at the Apapa seaport in Lagos. Babafemi confirmed the joint operation’s success, which underscores the NDLEA’s commitment to curbing cross-border drug trafficking and safeguarding public health.