The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency has apprehended one Pa Aremu Shojobi, an 80-year-old grandfather, with 14 kilogrammes of cannabis.
Shojobi admitted to trafficking illegal substances for the past 25 years, according to a statement released on Sunday by the agency’s spokesman, Femi Babafemi.
Shojobi admitted to trafficking illegal substances for the past 25 years, according to a statement released on Sunday by the agency’s spokesman, Femi Babafemi.
According to the agency, the suspect obtained the medicines from the Republic of Benin.
Babafemi said, “Operatives of the Lagos State Strategic Command of the Agency on Friday, September 20, arrested an 80-year-old grandfather, Pa Aremu Shojobi, with 14 kilograms of cannabis at his home in the Iyana Ipaja area of the state. In his statement, the octogenarian claimed he had been in the business of selling illicit drugs for 25 years. He further claimed he got his supplies from the Benin Republic and sold to his customers from his residence between 7 am and 10 pm every day.”
Babafemi further stated that a total of 25,000,000.00 pills of tapentadol, an opioid three times stronger than tramadol, and 350,000 bottles of codeine-based syrup were discovered in the Tin Can port complex in Lagos.
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He stated that the seizures occurred between September 17 and 20, 2024, from three containers that had been added to the agency’s watchlist as a result of processed intelligence.
He stated that the seizures occurred between September 17 and 20, 2024, from three containers that had been added to the agency’s watchlist as a result of processed intelligence.
“As a result, the NDLEA requested 100% joint examination of the shipments with men of the Nigeria Customs Service and other security agencies. The 25 million pills of tapentadol have an estimated street value of N13,725,000,000.00 while the codeine consignment has an estimated street value of N2,450,000,000.00, bringing the total value of the seizures to N16,175,000,000.00.
“The tapentadol consignment packed in 500 cartons was discovered in one of the containers on Tuesday, September 17, while another container examined the same day contained 175,000 bottles of Barcadin cough syrup with codeine packed in 875 cartons. The third container containing 175,000 bottles of CSC cough syrup with codeine was examined on Friday, September 20,” the statement added.
