NDLEA Rejects ₦10 Million Bribe, Arrest Suspected Drug Dealers In Lagos

The Lagos State command of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has reportedly rejected a bribe of ₦10 million that was offered to secure the release of one Tsolaye Eburajolo.

Naija News understands that the event was recorded recently even as the agency seized 26,250,000 tramadol pills and 508,400 bottles of codeine-based syrup valued at ₦16,683,800,000 from a drug dealer.

These items were intercepted during a thorough joint examination of watch-listed containers conducted in collaboration with personnel from the Customs Service and other security agencies at Tincan Port in Lagos and Port Harcourt Port, Onne, Rivers State, on October 22 and 23.

Eburajolo, a 40-year-old individual, was apprehended in the Ago Palace area of Okota, Lagos, in connection with the drugs seized by the officials.

A statement released on Sunday by the agency’s spokesperson, Femi Babafemi, indicated that the bribe offered for Eburajolo’s release had been included among the evidence collected from him.

The statement further detailed that additional illicit shipments intercepted during the joint inspection included 10 million tablets of Toradol Benzhexol and 28 plastic drums of methamphetamine weighing 700 kg at Tincan and Onne, respectively.

Furthermore, 56 parcels of Loud, a synthetic strain of cannabis weighing 28 kg, were also recovered from a container that had arrived at the Lagos Port from Canada.

“A suspect, Tsolaye Eburajolo, 40, was arrested in the Ago Palace area of Okota, Lagos, in connection with the cannabis seizure, while a bribe of N10 million offered to NDLEA officers to free the suspect has been kept as part of the exhibits for the prosecution of the case,” the statement noted.

According to Babafemi, the agency also recovered no fewer than 293 ampoules of promethazine and pentazocine injection, as well as 1.690 kg of cannabis and tramadol tablets concealed in hair attachments and the soles of shoes being sent to the United States, United Kingdom, and Oman at three courier firms.

“A total of 2,118 pills of tramadol concealed in the soles of 13 pairs of shoes destined for Cyprus were seized at the export shed of the Lagos airport on 12th October 2024, and an additional 380 tablets were recovered from the home of the sender, Okenwa Kelvin Uchenna, during a follow-up operation in Enugu on Thursday, 24th October,” he added.

On Friday, October 25th, NDLEA operatives conducted a raid at the Igbo-Igunuko shrine situated at Alfa Beach, Ajah, Lagos, where they seized an impressive 2,760 kg of Ghanaian Loud, a specific strain of cannabis stored in large bags.

During this operation, two individuals, Gbenga Abiodun and Sunday Abiodun, were taken into custody.

Additionally, another suspect, Ademola Oyelakin, was apprehended the same day along the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway with 770 kg of the same illicit substance.

Babafemi further disclosed that authorities recovered a total of 11,786 pills, including tramadol, molly, Rohypnol, and diazepam, along with 64 bottles of codeine syrup from a concealed underground storage at the residence of Muhammad Abdullahi.

Abdullahi had ingeniously excavated a hole in his bedroom located on Marwa Coastal Road, Lekki Phase 1, Lagos, which he covered with a padlocked iron slate and a rug, placing his mattress on top to evade detection.

In Plateau, Babafemi reported the arrest of a 39-year-old suspect, Fadan Bindom, in Pilgani village, who was found with 65.85 kg of cannabis and 18 grams of tramadol.

Another suspect, Sunday Agbata, aged 42, was also apprehended in Pavwei – Rayfield, Jos South LGA, on Wednesday, October 23rd, with 5,830 tablets and ampoules of bromazepam, diazepam and pentazocine injection.

“A major distributor of illicit drugs in the FCT, Abuja, Umar Muhammed, 40, was nabbed on Monday, 21st October, following the earlier seizure of a consignment of 198.5 kg of cannabis linked to him at Wuse Market Park.

“In Edo State, NDLEA operatives recovered 640 kg of cannabis concealed in 80 jumbo bags of fresh vegetables at Ewu Junction, Irrua, Esan Central LGA, and arrested a suspect, Austin Oruamen, 27, while another suspect, Adereti Kazeem, 35, was arrested with 200 blocks of cannabis weighing 133 kg at Obalayan, Ile-Ife, Osun State, on Thursday, 24th October,” the statement added.