Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have seized 164,750 tramadol and other illicit pills in Taraba State.
This was disclosed by its spokesman, Mr Femi Babafemi, stated on Sunday in Abuja.
He stated that the drugs were seized from two suspects – Henry Abuchi and Daniel Ugwoke.
He added that 96 compressed blocks of Indian hemp weighing 82kg concealed inside jumbo bags of cassava flour were also recovered at Basket Market, Asaba.
NDLEA operatives also recovered 45 blocks of compressed Indian hemp weighing 23kg on the Okene-Abuja Highway in Kogi on March 21 from one Abubakar Muhammad.
TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) learned that Muhammad was traveling in a bus that left Lagos for Maiduguri before his arrest.
A female drug dealer, Mrs Kudirat Bello was arrested at Igbesa in Ogun on March 20 with different quantities of methamphetamine, Indian hemp, rophynol and N119, 600 monetary exhibits, he stated.
“In Lagos, more than 1,000kg of Indian hemp were recovered from three suspects – Bolaji Adesina, Femi Ojo and Jamiu Useni during a raid at Mushin,’’ Babafemi added.
TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports that Tramadol, sold under the brand name Ultram among others, is an opioid pain medication used to treat moderate to moderately severe pain.
When taken by mouth in an immediate-release formulation, the onset of pain relief usually begins within an hour. It is also available by injection. It is available in combination with paracetamol (acetaminophen).
As is typical of opioids, common side effects include constipation, itchiness, and nausea. Serious side effects may include hallucinations, seizures, increased risk of serotonin syndrome, decreased alertness, and drug addiction. A change in dosage may be recommended in those with kidney or liver problems.
It is not recommended in those who are at risk of suicide or in those who are pregnant. While not recommended in women who are breastfeeding, those who take a single dose should not generally have to stop breastfeeding.
Tramadol is converted in the liver to O-desmethyltramadol (desmetramadol), an opioid with a stronger affinity to the μ-opioid receptor. Tramadol is also a serotonin–norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor (SNRI).
Tramadol was patented in 1963 and launched under the name “Tramal” in 1977 by the West German pharmaceutical company Grünenthal GmbH.
In the mid-1990s, it was approved in the United Kingdom and the United States. It is available as a generic medication and marketed under many brand names worldwide. In 2020, it was the 35th most commonly prescribed medication in the United States, with more than 17 million prescriptions.