Kehinde Fajobi
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested Oguejiofor Nnaemeka Simon Peter, a 29-year-old Nigerian who recently returned from Thailand, for attempting to smuggle 13.30kg of heroin valued at over ₦3.19 billion through the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) in Ikeja, Lagos.
NDLEA spokesperson Femi Babafemi revealed that Simon Peter was apprehended on 7th October 2024 while trying to exit the airport with the heroin concealed in six backpacks packed into two large suitcases.
According to Babafemi, the drugs were discovered during a security check after Simon Peter attempted to bypass standard procedures by routing his luggage from Accra, Ghana.
Babafemi explained, “Oguejiofor left Thailand on 3rd October on a Qatar Airways flight, had a stopover in Doha for two days, and arrived in Lagos on 5th October. He later arranged for his luggage to be rerouted to Lagos, hoping to retrieve it as rush baggage to avoid detection. However, NDLEA officers intercepted him, and a search revealed the heroin hidden inside six backpacks.”
Simon Peter admitted that he was promised $7,000 for delivering two parcels of heroin in Lagos and four more in Accra, Ghana.
In related developments, NDLEA operatives seized large consignments of opioids at three Nigerian seaports, valued at over ₦22.7 billion. Babafemi noted that these seizures were made possible through intelligence-based operations between 7th and 11th October 2024, involving joint efforts with customs and other security agencies.
Babafemi added, “The total monetary value of the intercepted opioids amounts to ₦22,740,958,000.”
Further arrests were made in separate operations across the country. In Anambra, NDLEA operatives apprehended Okelue Chidera, 29, with 50,000 tablets of tramadol in Onitsha. In Edo State, raids in Owan West and Ovia North East Local Government Areas led to the recovery of 1,160kg of cannabis and the arrest of two suspects.
NDLEA Chairman Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd) praised the officers for their continued efforts in combating drug trafficking, stating that their balanced approach to both supply and demand reduction remains critical in the agency’s War Against Drug Abuse (WADA).