Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, have made some notable arrests in Nigeria within the new year.
According to a statement signed and released by the Director,  Media and Advocacy,  NDLEA,  Femi Babafemi said men of the agency on new year eve, arrested a forty eight year-old passenger of Ethiopian airline that arrived Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu, from Sao Paulo, Brazil via Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, Augustine Iloduba, and placed him on observation during which he confessed to have swallowed fifty eight pellets of cocaine out of which he excreted forty eight pellets abd delivered to a Kenyan while on transit in Addis Ababa for a fee of N1million.
He said he continued his journey to Nigeria with the remaining ten pellets in his stomach, which according to him, he intended to sell in Lagos. The wraps of cocaine were later excreted at about ten forty am on new year day.
In Delta state, NDLEA operatives supported by soldiers seized two variants of cannabis; Loud and skunk weighing 56.5kg believed to be imported from a neighbouring country and arrested two suspects Miss Lillian Echicheli and Collins Uzokwe during a raid  on Wednesday 5th January at a warehouse in Abbi town, Ndokwa West LGA.
The statement further noted a seventy six-year-old grandfather, Osagie Robert was also arrested by operatives of the Agency, in Edo state where a suspected fake security agent, Godwin Ilevbare, also known as Edwin Agbon was also arrested for importing drug chocolates and cookies from Canada into Nigeria to sell.
The septuagenarian popularly called old soldier was arrested on Friday seventh January, 2022 in Egor, Oredo area of the state for dealing in Cannabis while Godwin was nabbed during a controlled delivery of a consignment shipped into Nigeria through a courier company by undercover operatives embedded in the courier firm on Tuesday fourth January.
The consignment, which emanated from Canada, contains Colorado brand of Cannabis concealed inside chocolates and cookies weighing six point four nine one kilograms, while the drug cookies and chocolates weighed five point five six six kilogrammes and zero point three eight three kilogrammes respectively.
In Niger state, twenty three-year-old Simon Richard, a five hundred level student of the Department of Agric Economics and Extension, Federal University of Technology, Minna was arrested at Gidan Kwano Talba road, Minna with different quantities of Loud and Tramadol on Thursday sixth January, while in Benue state, a twenty one-year-old lady, Shidoo Ben was arrested with fourteen pinches of crack cocaine at Jada Hotel, Otukpo on Friday seventh January.
She had traveled from Abuja to sell the drug in Benue while a raid in Jigbele Lota camp, Owo area of Ondo state led to the recovery of five ninety eight kilogrammes of cannabis and the arrest of Chukwuemeka Azi on Thursday sixth January.
In Ogun state, two suspects: Mrs. Ajoke Samuel, sixty, and Ogundairo Taye, thirty seven, were arrested in Itaka and Odo Eran areas of Abeokuta North with different quantities of cannabis sativa, just as Ibrahim Adamu and Yahaya Mohammed were nabbed with eighty one kilogrammes of cannabis along Ilorin-Jebba expressway on Tuesday fourth January.
In Plateau state, three siblings: Emmanuel Ngyang Jajoang; Timothy Ngyang Jajoang and Markus Ngyang Jajoang were arrested on Thursday sixth January at Kwakwi village, Riyom LGA with different quantities of cannabis and a locally made pistol.
At least, two suspects: Sunny Daniel and Joseph Chukwube were arrested in different parts of Rivers state with quantities of Methamphetamine; Heroin; Cannabis Sativa and Cocaine as well as three hundred and sixty four thousand,  five hundred naira cash on Thursday sixth January.
Reacting to the development, the Chairman/Chief Executive of NDLEA, retired Brigadier General Mohamed Buba Marwa commended the officers and men of the various commands for their exploits and for starting the new year with a strong message to drug cartels that the Agency will not relent in its determination and efforts against drug abuse and illicit drug trafficking in Nigeria.