The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested a 62-year-old Lagos-based businessman, Nwabueze Izueke, at the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport (MAKIA) for attempting to traffic cocaine to China.
Izueke was intercepted last Saturday, during the outward screening of passengers travelling to China via Addis Ababa on Ethiopian Airlines flight ET940. A body scan revealed that he had ingested illicit drugs, after which he was placed under medical observation.
According to a statement on Sunday by the spokesman of the anti-narcotics agency, Femi Babafemi, he later excreted 95 jumbo-sized wraps of cocaine, weighing a total of 1.589 kilogrammes, over seven separate excretions. The suspect told investigators he deals in clothing and automobile spare parts in Lagos and claimed he ventured into drug trafficking to raise funds to complete a house he is building in his hometown, Iwollo, Enugu State.
In Abuja, NDLEA operatives recovered 627.7 kilogrammes of skunk from a makeshift warehouse located within Fums Plaza, Kubwa, Federal Capital Territory. The agency also foiled an attempt to smuggle methamphetamine concealed inside MP3 speakers from Enugu to Abuja and Kaduna. The drugs were intercepted in a commercial bus last Friday.
A follow-up operation led to the arrest of Ebube Okeke in Zuba, FCT, with 173 grammes of methamphetamine. Three other suspects—Evans Ugwu, Mohammed Arinze and Friday Michael—were arrested the following day in Kaduna while attempting to collect another consignment weighing 28 grams.
In Taraba State, NDLEA officers at the Dan-Anacha patrol point in Gassol Local Government Area intercepted a 32-year-old suspect, Yusuf Abubakar, conveying yogurt packs from Lagos to Mubi, Adamawa State. A search of the consignment uncovered 1.8 kilogrammes of methamphetamine concealed in some of the yogurt packs.
Meanwhile, in Oyo State, NDLEA operatives arrested a 29-year-old Beninoise, Shuaibu Abdulrahman, at Ibudo-Igboho village, Sooro Kishi, with 149.6 kilogrammes of skunk hidden inside rice shafts. In a separate operation in Ibadan, officers arrested Adeniyi Adeola, popularly known as “Prince,” at Agbeni Market and recovered over 10,800 ampoules of pentazocine injections and 117,820 capsules of tramadol from his truck.
Also in Ibadan, NDLEA dismantled a synthetic cannabis production facility in Badeku area, arresting a drug kingpin, Jimoh Nurudeen, 40, and his accomplice, Ogundipe Yusuf, 27. Recovered items included precursor chemicals, skunk, production equipment, ₦7.4 million in cash and two vehicles.
In Kwara State, NDLEA intercepted a fuel tanker travelling from Lagos to Maiduguri and recovered 395,400 capsules of tramadol concealed within the truck. The driver was taken into custody.
Further arrests were recorded in Imo State, where a couple was apprehended with 203 kilogrammes of skunk, and in Ondo State, where 420 kilograms of skunk were recovered from a bush in Ikun Akoko. In Lagos, 31 wraps of cocaine were seized from a suspect arriving from Côte d’Ivoire by boat, while another suspect was arrested on Lagos Island with 3.6 kilograms of Canadian Loud and Colorado.
In Enugu, NDLEA operatives arrested a 37-year-old drug dealer and recovered various quantities of skunk, methamphetamine, cocaine, molly and cash from his residence.
The agency also sustained its War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) sensitisation campaigns across schools, communities and traditional institutions nationwide during the period.
Commending officers involved in the operations, NDLEA Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa (Rtd), urged personnel across the country to remain committed and professional in the fight against drug trafficking and abuse.
