Abuja, Dec. 10, 2023 -The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has intercepted 12 consignments of cocaine belonging to members of a drug trafficking organisation at the Akanu Ibiam International Airport, AIIA, Enugu.
Femi Babafemi, the NDLEA Spokesman, disclosed this in a statement on Sunday.
He said that a businessman, Augustine Justine Emeka, 44, who claimed to be a dealer in copper wire, was arrested on Saturday at the airport on his arrival from Douala, Cameroon, via Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on an Ethiopia Airlines plane with the 12 consignments, consisting of 797 pellets of cocaine weighing 17.6 kilograms.
The statement said the suspect admitted the cocaine consignments were for delivery to 12 different persons in the country during a preliminary interview.
In a related development, the NDLEA said it arrested a fleeing suspect, Onyejiuwa Prince Ifeanyi, at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, MMIA, Ikeja, Lagos, on Friday, Dec.8.
It said the suspect had gone into hiding since Sept. 8 following the seizure of a United Kingdom-bound 20kg cannabis consignment concealed in tomato paste tins at the SAHCO shed linked to him.
The NDLEA also said its operatives at the seaports arrested a 45-year-old Beninoise, Jamila Fatiu, at Ebute Ero Jetty in Lagos Island on Dec. 4 with 398 bottles of codeine cough syrup on her way to Seme border via a boat service
It said its operatives, acting on intelligence information, disrupted a pre-wedding ceremony in a community popularly known as Shola Quarters, Katsina and arrested 25 youths participating in the drug party.
“Operatives swooped on the suspects while they were busy taking turns abusing all sorts of illicit substances, including a mixture of multiple drugs mixed in a plastic bucket.
“Though the groom, Musa Gwandi, who organized the drug party along with his friends was not at the venue at the time the 25 others were arrested, he was however nabbed on Sunday 3rd December following a manhunt for him.
“On the same day, Sunday 3rd December, operatives in Anambra state intercepted a truck marked BEN 302 YS (Edo) and after a search, 5,612 bottles of codeine-based syrup; 57,800 capsules of tramadol and 5,100 ampoules of pentazocine injection, among others were recovered.
“The driver, Ambrose Oyamedan, conductors – Samuel Otejere and Obey Jonathan as well as the truck were taken into custody for further investigation. Two ladies: Chiemenam Akusoba, 25, and Chidinma Ibenwa, 28, were also arrested on Saturday 9th December with 15.8503kg of Cocaine, Heroin, Methamphetamine and Cannabis sativa in Umuogbu, Nnobi and Onitsha, respectively.
“At least three suspects: Monday John, 50; Maryam Adang, 48; and Mohammed Lawal Musa, 36, were arrested in different parts of Kaduna state. While John was arrested with 28.4kg of cannabis on Thursday, 7th December, Maryam was nabbed with 18.6kg of the same substance on Saturday, 9th December, the same day Musa, an indigene of Damagaran, Niger Republic, was arrested with 34 kilograms of cannabis sativa along Abuja- Kaduna highway while he was on his way to Niger Republic with the exhibit In Kogi State, a 20-year-old Adamu Nuhu was arrested on Monday 3rd December, along Okene- Lokoja- Abuja expressway while coming from Onitsha, Anambra en route to Kaduna with 2,700 ampoules of pentazocine injection; 11,900 pills of tramadol 225mg and 100mg as well as 124,000 tablets of diazepam.
“In Borno State, NDLEA operatives recovered a total of 81,975 pills of tramadol from three suspects: Mohammed Abubakar, 25; and Hassan Mohammed, 25, both in Response Area, Bayo town while Suleman Hamidu, 27, was nabbed by soldiers on a follow-up operation in Mubi town, Adamawa State,” it said. (GBN)
