Abuja, March 31, 2024 – The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested a 35-year-old lady, Chidinma Chinenye-Agbazue, while attempting to export 20 parcels of Indian hemp weighing 10.70kg to Doha, Qatar, through the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos State.
NDLEA said the operation was carried out in conjunction with operatives of the Department of State Services.
Femi Babafemi, the NDLEA Spokesman, said in a statement on Sunday that the drugs were concealed in African salad popularly called Abacha; and dried vegetables.
“Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency have detained a 35-year-old lady, Chidinma Chinenye-Agbazue after she was caught attempting to export 20 parcels of cannabis sativa weighing 10.70kg concealed in African salad popularly called Abacha and dried vegetables to Doha, Qatar through the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja Lagos state.
“NDLEA officers at the Lagos airport working in partnership with men of the Department of State Services had on Thursday, March 28 intercepted Chidinma, an outbound passenger from Lagos to Doha, on Qatar Airways during clearance of passengers at the screening point of Terminal 11 of the MMIA.
“Preliminary investigation revealed that Chidinma was based in Qatar, but returned to Nigeria last December for Christmas celebration. She said preparatory to her return to Doha, she was lodged at Club Dice Hotel in Ikotun area of Lagos where the consignment was handed over to her for trafficking to the Arab country,”
Babafemi also said two suspects, Monday Okeke and Chigozie Emeka, were on Tuesday, March 26, arrested by NDLEA operatives in Oniwaya, Yaba, and Agege area of Lagos, where they recovered from them 842,560 pills of opioids, especially tramadol in addition to 15 litres of codeine syrup and 596 grams of Molly.
“Two suspects – Monday Okeke and Chigozie Emeka – were on Tuesday, March 26, arrested by NDLEA operatives in Oniwaya, Yaba and Agege area of Lagos, where they recovered from them 842,560 pills of opioids especially tramadol in addition to 15 litres of codeine syrup and 596 grams of Molly.
“Attempt by Okeke to bribe the NDLEA officers with N5 million cash was rebuffed, while the money was documented as part of exhibits to prosecute the suspects in court.”
In Bayelsa, the bid by three suspects: Ebuka Eze, 31; Ugochukwu Okoro, 44; and Kingsley Uzim, 27, to smuggle opioids including codeine, molly, tramadol and diazepam weighing a total of 73.425kg to the creeks in Southern Ijaw area of the state was thwarted on Wednesday by NDLEA operatives at Swali jetty, Yenagoa where Eze and Okoro were arrested while Uzim was nabbed at Amasoma in a follow-up operation.
The drugs were concealed in jumbo sacks and conveyed to the jetty in a tricycle.
Meanwhile, two suspects: Eniola Muyideen and Bankole Shuaib were arrested with 137 blocks of cannabis weighing 71kg during a raid at Orile Imo, Ogun State on Friday.
NDLEA operatives in Taraba recovered 39,980 pills of tramadol from a suspect, Abubakar Mohammed, 33, in Lankaviri village, and another suspect, Apaji Vincent, 29, arrested in Wukari on Thursday with 131kg cannabis sativa.
In Abia State, Nwachukwuu Chinedu, 28, was arrested on Friday at Akara Ahuba, Isikwuato LGA by NDLEA officers.
Recovered from him include 46.65kg cannabis and different quantities of tramadol, methamphetamine and rohypnol as well as N71,500 monetary exhibit.
At least, 127.5kg cannabis loaded in a Volkswagen Vento saloon car marked NTT 215 AA was recovered along Isua/Kabba Road, Idoani area of Ose Local Government Area, Ondo State, while a 30-year-old female suspect, Chinasa Christopher, was arrested with 400 bottles of codeine syrup in Sabon Gari area of Kano.
Babafemi also said: “The owner of a consignment of illicit drugs intercepted along Zaria-Kano Road, Bakura Goni was arrested at Mile 2 market in Lagos on Tuesday in a follow up operation and flown to Kano to face charges.
“The consignment consisting of cannabis and tramadol weighing 73.8kg was earlier seized in a truck conveying it from Lagos to Kano,” the statement said.
