Former Beauty Queen Surrenders to NDLEA Following Drug-Related Charges

In a significant development, Oluwadamilola Aderinoye, a former beauty queen who held the title of Miss Commonwealth Nigeria Culture, has surrendered to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) at its Lagos command. This comes after she had been declared wanted for nearly eight months, following a raid on her residence linked to suspected drug trafficking activities.

According to a statement released by the NDLEA’s spokesperson, Femi Babafemi, Aderinoye went into hiding after operatives raided her apartment in Lekki on September During the raid, law enforcement officials seized a notable quantity of illegal substances, including 606 grams of Canadian Loud—a potent synthetic strain of cannabis—along with an electronic weighing scale, various drug packaging materials, and a black RAV 4 SUV registered in Lagos.

Babafemi detailed that Aderinoye, also known as Ms. Queen Oluwadamilola Aderinoye, was apprehended after she voluntarily presented herself to the agency on She reportedly had been in hiding in Akure, Ondo State, since her escape from the Lekki raid.

“The former beauty queen surrendered to the Lagos command of the NDLEA after several months of evasion,” Babafemi stated, outlining the circumstances surrounding her case. “The agency had been on her trail since the raid, which was executed based on credible intelligence regarding her involvement in illicit drug dealings.”

In a broader context of ongoing drug enforcement efforts, the NDLEA has reported substantial seizures of illicit substances across various locations. Recently, operatives intercepted a staggering total of 31,124,600 pills of tramadol (225mg) and bottles of codeine-based syrup, with an estimated street value exceeding N17.9 billion. These seizures occurred at the Port Harcourt Port Complex in Onne, Rivers State, and the Tin Can seaport in Lagos.

The agency’s operations were bolstered by intelligence received on shipments originating from India. Authorities conducted a thorough examination of watch-listed containers in collaboration with the Nigerian Customs Service and other security agencies. As a result, significant quantities of narcotics were confiscated, including 350,000 bottles of codeine-based syrup recovered from two containers at the Tin Can port.

Further breakdowns of the seizures revealed that NDLEA operatives at Port Harcourt intercepted 447 cartons of tramadol containing nearly 29,840,000 pills, alongside 380,000 bottles of codeine syrup from three containers on August 29. The tramadol was branded under various names, including Royal Tapetadol and Carisoprodol.

In a subsequent operation, additional containers were examined, resulting in the recovery of 3,030 cartons of codeine syrup containing 554,600 bottles. This brings the total number of codeine bottles seized across the operations to about 1.28 million, valued at approximately N8.99 billion.

In conjunction with Aderinoye’s case, the NDLEA has made several other notable arrests. On August 27, operatives at Port Harcourt International Airport apprehended Eze Emekan Don, who attempted to board a flight to Malabo, Equatorial Guinea, carrying 1,490 pills of tramadol concealed as cosmetics in his luggage.

Additionally, in Lagos, Mustapha Ibrahim was arrested with over 1,122 kilograms of cannabis along Orchid Road in Ajah. Another operation in Niger State resulted in the capture of Friday Gabriel, who was found transporting 1,900 tramadol capsules, 300 bottles of codeine syrup, and 600 packets of exol-5 tablets.

The aggressive stance of the NDLEA highlights the ongoing battle against drug trafficking in Nigeria, as officials remain vigilant in their efforts to dismantle networks involved in the illicit drug trade. The agency’s commitment to clamping down on drug-related offenses continues to be a focal point of its operations, as it works to ensure the safety and health of the public.

The case of Oluwadamilola Aderinoye serves as a stark reminder of the complexities surrounding drug enforcement and the challenges faced by authorities in curbing substance abuse and trafficking within the country.