A former beauty queen, Oluwadamilola Aderinoye, has surrendered to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) after being declared wanted for drug offenses. Aderinoye, who was Miss Commonwealth Nigeria Culture in 2015/2016, turned herself in at the NDLEA Lagos command on August 28, eight months after she was declared wanted.
The agency had accused her of hiding after operatives raided her apartment in Lekki on January 24, where they found 606 grammes of Canadian Loud, a synthetic strain of cannabis, and other drug paraphernalia. NDLEA spokesperson, Femi Babafemi, said Aderinoye claimed she had been hiding in Akure, Ondo State, since January.
This development comes as the NDLEA announces several other drug seizures and arrests across the country. At the Port Harcourt Port Complex and Tincan seaport in Lagos, operatives intercepted tramadol and codeine-based syrup worth over N17 billion. The agency also arrested several suspects, including Eze Emekan Don, who attempted to board a flight to Malabo with 1,490 pills of tramadol concealed in his luggage.
In Lagos, operatives seized 1,122 kilograms of cannabis from a suspect, Mustapha Ibrahim, and recovered 816kg of the same substance belonging to a suspect at large. In Niger State, Friday Gabriel was arrested while transporting 1,900 capsules of tramadol, 300 bottles of codeine syrup, and 600 packets of exol-5 tablets.
The NDLEA’s efforts to combat drug trafficking and abuse in Nigeria are yielding results, with significant seizures and arrests made in recent weeks. The agency’s commitment to tackling the drug menace is crucial in reducing the harmful effects of drug abuse on individuals, families, and communities.
Aderinoye’s surrender and the other arrests and seizures demonstrate the NDLEA’s determination to bring perpetrators to justice and prevent the flow of illicit drugs into the country. As the agency continues its operations, it is essential for individuals to cooperate and report any suspicious activities to help rid Nigeria of the drug scourge.
