Why I Brought illegal Drugs to Nigeria, a Canadian Lady Admits

A 41-year-old Canadian woman, Adrienne Munju, has been apprehended by agents of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) in Ikeja, Lagos, for attempting to import a significant quantity of 'Canadian Loud,' a potent strain of synthetic cannabis. The arrest occurred during the customs clearance process for passengers arriving on a KLM flight from Canada at Terminal 1 of the Lagos airport on Thursday, October 3, 2024. Upon a thorough inspection of her three bags, it was discovered that Adrienne, who was visiting Nigeria for the first time, was carrying 74 parcels of the illegal substance, totaling 35.20 kilograms, concealed within two of her bags. In her account, she stated that she had been recruited via an online platform to smuggle the drugs for a payment of 10,000 Canadian dollars upon successful delivery in Lagos. She indicated that her motivation for accepting the offer was to secure funds for her ongoing master’s degree studies in Canada.

Similarly, NDLEA operatives at the Port Harcourt Ports in Onne, Rivers State, have seized a total of Thirteen Million Two Hundred and Ninety-Eight Thousand (13,298,000) opioid pills, including Tramadol, Tramaking Quick Action Tramadol, Tamol-X, Royal Tapentadol, and Carisoprodol, along with Three Hundred and Thirty-Eight Thousand Two Hundred and Fifty-Three (338,253) bottles of codeine-based cough syrup. The total street value of these drugs exceeds Nine Billion Seventeen Million Seven Hundred and Seventy-One Thousand Naira (N9,017,771,000). The opioids were discovered in three containers arriving from India, as part of a targeted operation by the NDLEA during a comprehensive joint examination of the cargo with officials from the Nigerian Customs and other port stakeholders on Wednesday, October 2, and Thursday, October 3, 2024.

On Thursday, October 3rd, NDLEA operatives at the Tincan seaport in Lagos successfully intercepted 100 parcels of Canadian Loud, totaling 50 kilograms. The contraband was organized into 20 parcels, each contained within five large bags, and concealed in a shipping container alongside four imported vehicles from Canada. Although the container had previously been cleared from the ESS Libra Bonded Terminal in Ikorodu, NDLEA operatives, acting on reliable intelligence, traced it to a warehouse in Ikorodu. There, the illegal cargo was found hidden within one of the imported vehicles, specifically a Toyota Sienna bus. A suspect, identified as Abubakar Shuaibu Ibrahim, has been apprehended in connection with this seizure. In Taraba, on the same day, NDLEA officers intercepted a commercial bus with the registration JAL 198 YQ, which was traveling from Onitsha in Anambra State to Jalingo. During a search of the vehicle, significant quantities of opioids, including tramadol, rohypnol, and codeine-based syrup, were discovered concealed within the vehicle's body compartments. Two suspects, Pako Thomas and Emmanuel Anyigor, were arrested in connection with this incident. Additionally, another suspect, Chibuzor Okafor, was apprehended in Wukari on Wednesday, October 2nd, with 80 blocks of cannabis weighing 38 kilograms hidden in bags of garri. In Lagos, on Friday, October 4th, Bolanle Ajenifuja was arrested in the Afo-Media area of Ojo, where authorities recovered 700 liters of skuchies, a mixture of local chapman and illicit drugs. On the same day, three other suspects—Ezekiel Akpele, Elijah Michael, and Goddard John—were apprehended during a raid on two cannabis farms located in Bridge Camp, a community bordering Edo and Ondo states. Over three hectares of farmland were cleared, resulting in the destruction of approximately 9,966.332 kilograms of cannabis, along with the recovery of 48 kilograms of processed psychoactive substances.

The Agency's Commands and formations nationwide have persistently engaged in their War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) sensitization initiatives over the past week, demonstrating the same commitment. These activities encompassed WADA awareness lectures delivered to students and staff at various institutions, including Government Science Secondary School in Musawa, Katsina; Akanu Ibiam Memorial Seminary School in Abakaliki, Ebonyi; Community High School in Ile Ogbo, Osun; and Dominion Secondary School in Okon, Akwa Ibom State, among others. In acknowledging the efforts of the officers and personnel from MMIA, Tincan, PHPC, Lagos, Edo, and Taraba Commands of the Agency for their arrests and seizures, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, expressed his appreciation for their operational achievements. He emphasized the value of their balanced strategies in both drug supply reduction and drug demand reduction efforts, which have been instrumental across the country.