Nigeria’s war against illicit drugs has recorded a major breakthrough in Lagos, where operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, have uncovered and raided three hidden drug warehouses in the Okota area.
The intelligence-led operation targeted properties within Park View Estate in Ago Palace, where officers discovered massive stockpiles of banned substances concealed inside residential buildings.
Recovered from the locations as contained in a statement by the Director, Media and Advocacy, NDLEA, Mr Femi Babafemi, were over two million high-strength tramadol pills and nearly two million bottles of codeine syrup, with authorities estimating the street value at close to seventeen billion naira.
Officials say the scale of the seizure points to a well-organised distribution network operating quietly within the neighbourhood, using seemingly ordinary homes as fronts for large-scale drug storage.
Chairman and Chief Executive of the agency, Mohamed Buba Marwa, described the operation as a decisive strike against the pharmaceutical drug black market and a major disruption of a powerful trafficking syndicate.
He commended the operatives for what he called a landmark success, noting that the volume of drugs recovered demonstrates the agency’s growing intelligence capacity and its ability to stay ahead of criminal networks.
The NDLEA boss also issued a strong warning to traffickers, insisting that no location is beyond the agency’s reach, and vowing that those involved in the trade of illicit substances will be tracked down and prosecuted under the full weight of the law.
Reporting By Nosa Aituamen