NDLEA halts drug consignments in winter jackets, body lotion

Etim Ekpimah

*Arrests Lekki businessman over illicit cargo from the US; pregnant woman, cripple in Edo; female undergraduate in Ogun

Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, MMIA, Ikeja, Lagos State, seized consignments of Tramadol, Rohypnol, Ecstasy (designer drug) and Cannabis concealed in winter jackets and bottles of body cream.

It was learnt that the psychoactive substances were recovered at the new terminal of the airport on Friday 14th April following the arrest of a passenger, Joshia Sunday who was travelling on a Qatar Airline flight via Doha to Oman, Middle East.

It was gathered that a thorough search of the suspect’s two black bags led to the discovery of 4.80 kilograms of cannabis concealed in three winter jackets and various quantities of Tramadol, Rohypnol, Ecstasy (Designer drug) hidden in bottles of body lotion. Preliminary investigation revealed that the suspect came into Nigeria from Oman on April 7, and was returning exactly a week after.

This was contained in a statement issued and electronically signed by Femi Babafemi, Director, Media & Advocacy, NDLEA Headquarters, Abuja, on Sunday, 16 April 2023.

Babafemi said that in the same vein, a Lekki Lagos-based businessman, Cyril Chidiebere was on Friday 14th April arrested along with two of his freight agents: Mejabi Peter Sunday and Oyeyinka Babatunde over their involvement in the importation of twelve (12) parcels of Loud, a strain of cannabis, weighing 6.50kg, which was part of a consolidated cargo brought in from the United States of America.

“The arrest and seizure followed a three-day intelligence-led operation. Following the arrival of the cargo at the NAHCO import shed of the MMIA, its movement out of the airport was closely monitored in a sting operation until the actual importer, Cyril Chidiebere, was arrested in his house at Abraham Adesanya estate, Ajah, Lekki area of Lagos. Both Mejabi and Chidiebere have made useful statements to confirm that the latter has been involved in dealing illicit drugs in the past,” he added.

Meanwhile, a pregnant woman, Rabetu Abdulrasak, 24, and a cripple, Shehu Adams have been arrested by NDLEA operatives in Agbede, Etsako West LGA, Edo state while over 14 kilograms of assorted illicit drugs including cannabis, methamphetamine, tramadol and swinol were recovered from them on Saturday 15th April.

According to him, a 22-year-old HND 1 female student of Federal Polytechnic, Ilaro, Ogun state, Isoyo Iveren Susan was on Saturday 15th April arrested opposite the 2nd Gate of the institution for dealing with illicit drugs. Recovered from her include 1,100ML of codeine-based cough syrup and 283 grams of cannabis. This is just as operatives in Lagos arrested two suspects: Nonso Peter, 21, and Bright Chibike, 23, with 43.4kg cannabis at Ile-Epo, Abule Egba area of the state on Friday 14th April.

He said: “In Katsina state, no less than 1,730 bottles of codeine-based syrup were seized from a suspect, Bishir Saadu in Katsina metropolis on Sunday 9th April just as Muhamadu Yusuf was equally arrested same day with 8,000 capsules of tramadol inside a commercial bus along Kano-Katsina Road. In the same vein, NDLEA operatives in Kaduna on Thursday 13th April raided a clandestine laboratory where mist potassium citrate was being produced in a residential apartment at 16 Sabon Gari, Zaria.

“The owner of the lab, Christopher Agodi was arrested and 102 cartons containing 2,448 bottles of the substance were recovered. While a suspect, Salisu Abdullahi, 25, was arrested along Abuja-Kaduna Road with 11.7kg cannabis concealed in two jerrycans, which he was moving from Port Harcourt to Kano, operatives also on Saturday 15th April nabbed one Atiku Abubakar, 22, on the same road with 50 blocks of cannabis weighing 28kg while travelling from Lagos to Shinkafi in Zamfara state in a commercial bus.

“Similarly, anti-narcotic officers acting on a tip-off, arrested two suspects: Aminu Saudi, 45 and Abdullahi Sani, 35, at Ogbese, Ondo state, with 11 jumbo bags containing 211kg of cannabis concealed in rice chaff. This was closely followed by the destruction of six hectares of cannabis farm in Uso forest in the state on Thursday 13th April.”

Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Retd) has commended the officers and men of the MMIA, Edo, Ogun, Lagos, Katsina, Kaduna and Ondo Commands of the Agency for the arrests and seizures of the past week.

He urged them and their compatriots across the country to remain focused and continue the current drug supply reduction and drug demand reduction efforts simultaneously.