The National Drugs Law Enforcement Agency on Sunday reported that its officers turned down a N10 million bribe from a suspect, Tsolaye Eburajolo, to secure his release after he was arrested with large drug shipments in Lagos.
The agency seized drugs with a street value of N16.6 billion, including 26.25 million tramadol pills and 508,400 bottles of codeine-based syrup, during a thorough inspection at the Tin Can Port in Lagos and the Onne Port in Rivers State between October 22 and 23.
NDLEA spokesperson Femi Babafemi said, “A bribe of N10 million paid to NDLEA officers to free the suspect has been kept as part of the exhibits for the prosecution of the case.”
Additional illicit substances were found during the joint operation, including 10 million tablets of Toradol Benzhexol, 28 plastic drums of methamphetamine weighing 700 kg, and 56 parcels of Loud (a synthetic cannabis strain) in a container from Canada. Babafemi said, “The seized drugs are being used as evidence for prosecuting those involved.”
The NDLEA’s operation extended beyond the ports. At three courier companies, officers recovered drugs concealed in unusual items bound for the U.S., U.K., and Oman.
“Among the seized items were 2,118 tramadol pills hidden in shoe soles and 380 more pills found at the home of the sender, Okenwa Kelvin Uchenna, during a follow-up operation in Enugu,” Babafemi stated.
In another bust, NDLEA officers raided the Igbo-Igunuko shrine at Alfa Beach, Ajah, Lagos, uncovering 2,760 kg of cannabis (Ghanaian Loud) and arresting two suspects, Gbenga Abiodun and Sunday Abiodun. Additional arrests included Ademola Oyelakin with 770 kg of cannabis along the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway.
One of the most shocking discoveries was in Lekki Phase 1, where a suspect, Muhammad Abdullahi, hid drugs in a specially built underground storage beneath his bedroom. Babafemi described the setup: “Abdullahi dug an underground storage area, covered it with a padlocked iron slate and rug, and placed his mattress over it to keep it hidden.” The agency found 11,786 pills of various drugs and 64 bottles of codeine syrup at the site.
