Director, Media and Advocacy, NDLEA Headquarters, Abuja, Femi Babafemi, said the drugs comprised over 52.252 kilograms of Cocaine, Methamphetamine, and Skunk as well as 32, 590 pills of opioids.

however, showed that the shoes were used to conceal 37 parcels of a Loud variant of Cannabis with a gross weight of 20.10 kilograms.

“A 63-year-old grandfather, Balogun Akinlabi Abideen hired as ä freight agent to clear the illicit consignment has already been arrested.

“Two other sexagenarians arrested in connection with drug trafficking included Butven Siman, 62, who was nabbed with 5.5kgs skunk on Friday 17th February at Timbol Village, Langtang South LGA, Plateau State, as well as 65-year-old Musa Shuaib who was arrested with a kilogram of cannabis on Thursday 23rd February in Adewole area of Ilorin, the Kwara State capital.

“At two major courier companies in Lagos, a total of 4.292 kilograms of psychoactive drugs including Methamphetamine, Tramadol, Lexaton, and Swindon concealed in walls of cartons, picture frames, bathing soap packs and bedsheets were recovered from parcels going to United Kingdom, New Zealand and Australia by officers of the NDLEA Directorate of Operations and General Investigation, DOGI attached to the logistics firms.”

The drug busts also extended to Sokoto, where a foreign national was arrested.

The statement added: “In Sokoto State, NDLEA operatives at the Illela land border on Tuesday, 21st Feb intercepted a Nigerien, Bashar Abdu of Kwanni, Niger Republic with 1.460kgs of skunk wrapped around his private part.

“In Kaduna, a suspect, Mohammed Garba (a.k.a Alfazazi), was arrested with 6,390 tablets of Tramadol 225mg, weighing 3.4kgs on Thursday 23rd along Abuja-Kaduna Express Road.”

The statement commended the officers and men of MMIA, DOGI, Plateau, Sokoto, Kaduna and Kwara Commands of the Agency for the arrests and seizures.

“Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Retd) noted that their efforts and those of their compatriots across the country have in no small measure reduced access to and availability of illicit substances in Nigerian communities.

“He charged them to remain vigilant at all times,” Babafemi said.