Kayode ShopekanThe National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has made multiple arrests of suspected drug dealers trying to export and import banned substances into the country.
This was contained in a statement by the spokesman of the anti-narcotics agency, Femi Babafemi.
Babafemi said NDLEA operatives trailed a suspect, Stephen Afam Ikeanyionwu to Ojodu Berger in the Ikeja area of Lagos State.
He said Ikeanyionwu had been on the wanted list of the NDLEA “for attempting to export 69.65 kilograms of banned substances to the United Kingdom through the NAHCO export shed of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA)”.
According to him, the suspect was arrested following the interception of a consignment of illicit drugs weighing 69.65kg going to the UK through the Lagos airport on August 12.
Babafemi said, “The illegal baggage had been sent to the airport for export through a freight forwarding company, which in turn gave a driver to deliver at the NAHCO export shed.
“Following the arrest of the driver, investigations later revealed the true identity of the actual owner of the consignment as Ikeanyionwu, who was arrested three days later in a sting operation.
“At the Lagos airport, NDLEA operatives also arrested Abibu Miminu, an Italy-bound passenger, during the outward clearance of passengers on Ethiopian Airways flight to Italy via Addis-Ababa for ingesting illicit drugs.”
Babafemi explained that the suspected trafficker excreted 800grams of heroin in three excretions, while under observation between August 14 and 15.
He said, “In the same vein, narcotic officers of the Directorate of Operation and General Investigation have intercepted at two courier companies in Lagos 840 grams of Methamphetamine going to Australia and concealed in bolts.
“340 grams of meth hidden in locally made footwear and also going to Australia; 1 kilogram of cocaine coming from Ghana with the UK as destination and concealed in four local guitars. Also seized from one of the courier firms is another 480grams of meth concealed in footwear and going to Australia.”
“Meanwhile, a South Africa returnee, Obi Chigozie Samuel, was also arrested at the Lagos airport last Sunday during the inward clearance of Ethiopian Airlines from Addis-Ababa, for importing 58grams of skunk into Nigeria. During a preliminary interview, he admitted ownership and claimed to be a cannabis smoker. Similarly, in strings of operations in Edo, Ondo, Kaduna, Kano, and Kogi states, at least 2,504.8 kilograms of diverse illicit drugs were seized from multiple suspects in the past week.”
Meanwhile, NDLEA Chairman/Chief Executive, Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa (Retd) has commended operatives of the agency for strings of arrests and seizures in the past week, urging them to keep up the tempo.
“We have all laid our hands on the plow, there’s no looking back, no retreat or surrender and as such I urge all our officers and men to intensify the ongoing offensive action until the last gram of illicit drug is taken away from merchants of death,” Marwa said.
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