- Safiu Kehinde
No fewer than 190,960 pills of tramadol concealed in bumpers and false bottoms of vehicles were recovered from four drug syndicates following interception by the operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA)
The multi-million-naira worth of tramadol pills were reportedly concealed in sienna buses heading to border towns.
This was disclosed in a statement issued on Sunday by NDLEA’S Spokesman, Femi Babafemi.
According to Babafemi, one of the vehicles, a Sienna bus marked ABJ 452 HG, was intercepted at Nasarawa- Toto road, Keffi, Nasarawa state on Tuesday 27th January 2025 at 6am following weeks of intelligence and surveillance operations.
Two suspects Zahradeen Adamu, 27 and Abubakar Usman, 44, were arrested in the vehicle coming from Onitsha, Anambra state enroute Yola, Adamawa state.
The second Sienna bus driven by one Abba Usman, 48, was also intercepted after which a search was conducted on the vehicles.
During the search of the two vehicles, specially constructed steel compartments were discovered after the removal of the back bumper where a total of 190, 960 pills of tramadol were concealed and, in the space, designed to house the spare tyre of the vehicles.
Further investigations revealed that an Onitsha, Anambra state-based dealer, Kingsley Mbaeri was the supplier of the seized tramadol consignment. A swift follow up operation led to the arrest of Mbaeri at his Uga Street, Onitsha home on 29th January with two vehicles: a Toyota Corolla car marked FGG 948 MF and a Toyota Sienna bus marked GWA 23 HH were recovered from his house.