NDLEA raises alarm over plot to flood the country with lethal synthetic opioid, fentanyl

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has uncovered plans by some unscrupulous elements to introduce a lethal synthetic opioid, Fentanyl ‘which is 100 times stronger than Tramadol and heroin’ into the Nigerian market.

According to a statement by the Director, Media and Advocacy of the NDLEA, Mr Femi Babafemi on Tuesday, he warned that the illicitly manufactured drug is capable of causing mass casualty among the youth population being targeted by the cartels.

The anti-narcotics agency said every step must be taken to ensure that the drug, which is currently responsible for over 70% of overdose deaths as well as a major contributor to fatal and nonfatal overdoses in the US is not allowed to circulate in Nigeria because of its lethality and the current drug abuse prevalence of 14.4% in the country.