The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has apprehended two suspected drug traffickers at the Port Harcourt International Airport and the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos. The duo reportedly excreted a total of 125 wraps of heroin following their arrests.
Port Harcourt Arrest: Suspect with Dual Identity
One of the suspects, Onyekwonike Elochuckwu Sylvanus, 30, was intercepted at the Port Harcourt International Airport on February 2, 2025. He was traveling on a Qatar Airways flight from Doha via Abuja and was found using a Sierra Leonean passport under the name Kargbo Mohamed Foday.
According to NDLEA spokesperson Femi Babafemi, a body scan confirmed that Sylvanus had ingested illicit drugs. Under close monitoring, he later excreted 62 wraps of heroin weighing 1.348 kilograms over five sessions.
Investigations further revealed that Sylvanus had been trafficking drugs across multiple countries, including Thailand, Pakistan, Iran, and West Africa. He reportedly alternated between his Nigerian and Sierra Leonean passports to avoid detection. The suspect admitted that he turned to drug smuggling in 2017 after his clothing and shoe business collapsed.
Lagos Arrest: Madagascar Returnee
The second suspect, James Chinoso, 48, was apprehended at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos on February 1, 2025. He had arrived from Madagascar via Ethiopia on an Ethiopian Airlines flight.
Following a body scan, authorities confirmed the presence of illicit drugs in his system. Under observation, Chinoso excreted 63 wraps of heroin weighing 909 grams.
Further inquiries revealed that he had departed from Lagos to Madagascar on January 26, 2025, before returning a week later. He reportedly confessed that he resorted to drug trafficking after his phone accessories business in Liberia failed.
Other Drug Seizures and Arrests
In a separate operation on February 6, NDLEA officers from the Directorate of Operations and General Investigation intercepted 2.82 kilograms of Loud, a synthetic strain of cannabis, smuggled from the United States to Lagos.
Additionally, another logistics company in Lagos was found to be transporting 80 ampoules of pentazocine injections (225 grams) concealed in cartons destined for Canada.
Further drug-related arrests were made across different states:
Kano: Two suspects, Usaini Salisu and Yahaya Mu’azu, both 23, were caught on February 3 along Zaria Road with 15,396 tramadol pills hidden in a gas cylinder. Another suspect, Chioma Okeke, 35, was arrested in Sabon Gari with 27 blocks of skunk (15 kg of cannabis).
Kogi: On February 8, authorities intercepted 12,800 tramadol 250mg pills along the Kabba-Obajana Highway and arrested Salisu Basiru, 33.
Jigawa: That same day, officers confiscated 65 parcels of Colorado (1.6 kg of synthetic cannabis) from Rufai Hassan, 32, at a checkpoint.
The NDLEA remains committed to intensifying its efforts against drug trafficking and related criminal activities across the country.
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