NDLEA Intercepts 300,000 Pills of Exol-5 in Ogun and Kaduna Raids

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) successfully intercepted no fewer than 300,000 pills of Exol-5 in two significant operations conducted in Ogun and Kaduna states. This milestone was announced on Sunday by Mr. Femi Babafemi, NDLEA Director of Media and Advocacy in a statement issued from Abuja.

On Wednesday, NDLEA operatives arrested a 29-year-old suspect at New Bussa, Niger State, confiscating 150,000 pills of Exol-5 alongside 800 ampoules of pentazocine injection and 22,000 capsules of tramadol. Meanwhile, in Kaduna, a 27-year-old suspect known as Farin Malam was intercepted at the Abuja/Kaduna toll gate carrying an identical quantity of 150,000 Exol-5 pills en route from Lagos to Katsina.

Beyond these major seizures, the agency’s efforts extended across multiple states. At Murtala Mohammed International Airport in Ikeja, Lagos, NDLEA officers intercepted 27,510 pills of Rohypnol concealed in sachets of alcoholic beverages destined for South Africa. Subsequent arrests included a freight agent, a cab driver, and a 46-year-old mastermind apprehended at Oyingbo market, Lagos. Additionally, an Italy-based businessman was detained while attempting to export 3,700 tramadol 225mg pills and 2,600 tapentadol 200mg tablets hidden within food items to Europe.

Operations in Edo and Ondo states yielded significant quantities of skunk, a potent strain of cannabis, with the recovery of 47kg in Ugbekpe Ekperi, Edo, and 312kg from a bush at Ologede camp, Ogbese, in Ondo. NDLEA also intercepted two suspects conveying 141.8kg of skunk along the Benin-Lagos expressway. Further arrests were made in Osun, Rivers, and Katsina states with varying quantities of skunk recovered.

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These coordinated raids align with NDLEA’s ongoing War Against Drug Abuse (WADA), which includes extensive sensitization campaigns in schools, workplaces, worship centers, and communities nationwide. Last week alone, awareness lectures were conducted in states including Adamawa, Ebonyi, Katsina, Enugu, Niger, Kogi, Anambra, Rivers, Kano, and Osun.

NDLEA Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, retired Brigadier-General Buba Marwa, commended the agency’s officers for their professionalism and urged reinforcement of their vigilance and commitment to Nigeria’s drug control operations.

This cluster of drug busts highlights ongoing challenges posed by illicit drug trafficking across Nigeria. The NDLEA remains resolute in its coordinated crackdown on narcotics, striving to protect public health and national security through proactive enforcement and community engagement.

This report reflects the NDLEA’s reinforced operational capacity and strategic focus on curbing the trafficking and abuse of dangerous substances such as Exol-5, opioids, and cannabis variants, among others, across multiple states