The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has reported the arrest of Ibeanusi Solomon Nosike, a businessman based in Onitsha, Anambra State, who was caught attempting to smuggle 68 wraps of cocaine.

Following his arrest at the domestic terminal of Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) in Ikeja, Lagos, Nosike was placed under excretion observation for 12 days, during which he expelled the drug-filled pellets.

The NDLEA revealed that the 36-year-old suspect was apprehended in the early hours of Thursday, August 8, 2024, while attempting to board an early flight from Lagos to Abuja.

He had planned to later connect to a Qatar Airways flight at Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, headed to Vietnam at 10:00 a.m. the same day.

Femi Babafemi, Director of Media & Advocacy at NDLEA Headquarters, disclosed that Nosike had been under surveillance due to prior intelligence.

According to Babafemi, Nosike had travelled to Lagos from Onitsha on August 7 and checked into a hotel, where he ingested 68 cocaine pellets before making his way to the airport for his 6:30 a.m. flight.

He was subsequently intercepted by NDLEA officers and placed in excretion observation, where he eventually passed the 1.282 kilograms of cocaine.

In a similar case, the NDLEA apprehended another Vietnam-bound businessman, 54-year-old Paul Okwuy Mbadugha, at Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport on Monday, August 12, 2024.

Mbadugha was arrested during the outbound clearance for a Qatar Airways flight to Hanoi, Vietnam, via Doha, after he tested positive for ingesting cocaine. Within four days under NDLEA supervision, he expelled 88 wraps of cocaine, weighing 1.710 kilograms.

In another incident, NDLEA operatives in Onitsha arrested Aligbo Chukwudi Jacob, another businessman, after intercepting a shipment of 1.2 kilograms of cannabis concealed in a package bound for Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

The shipment, which was intercepted at MMIA’s export shed, had been sent through a courier company based in Onitsha. After a series of follow-up operations, Aligbo was arrested in Onitsha on August 17, 2024.

Additionally, NDLEA’s Special Operations Unit arrested five female drug traffickers at the Seme border as they returned from Ghana to Lagos. The group, led by 42-year-old Olaribigbe Bashirat Feyisara, had been under NDLEA surveillance for some time.

Alongside Feyisara, the agency arrested Abogun Fatimah Ladidi, Osibeluwo Tolulope Oluwaseun, Akanni Balikis Oluwatoyin, and Ajetumobi Amudalat.

During the arrest, NDLEA officers recovered 14 packs of a potent strain of cannabis known as Loud, weighing a total of 6.97 kilograms, hidden in various parts of the suspects’ bodies.

In another operation, NDLEA operatives at the Tincan seaport in Lagos intercepted two containers originating from Mundra port in India.

A joint examination of the containers with other port stakeholders led to the discovery of 1,596 cartons of codeine-based syrup, containing 319,200 bottles of the opioid. The street value of the seized drugs was estimated to be N2,234,400,000 (Two Billion, Two Hundred and Thirty-Four Million, Four Hundred Thousand Naira).

In a separate incident in Edo State, two women involved in the online sale of illicit drugs were arrested. Martha Owotorofa, 26, was apprehended at Kada Plaza in Benin City with quantities of Canadian Loud, while 21-year-old Odion Uzordinma was arrested in the Ugbowo area with 30 cups of cookies and 17 slices of cake, all laced with illegal substances.

A raid on Oghada village in Uhunmwonde local government area led to the arrest of 50-year-old Saturday Edobor, who was found with 288.8 kilograms of cannabis.

In Lagos, NDLEA operatives arrested a suspect, Godwill Davidson, on August 21, 2024, in the Mushin area. He was caught with 3,834 bottles of codeine syrup, 5,200 Co-Codamol pills, and 11,880 tablets of Rohypnol.

Another suspect, 23-year-old Yahaya Ibrahim, was arrested on the Okene-Lokoja-Abuja expressway in Kogi State the same day, carrying 42,000 tramadol pills. Ibrahim had reportedly been transporting the drugs from Asaba, Delta State, to Potiskum in Yobe State.

In Oyo State, two suspects, Feranmi Bankole and Fredrick Tobiloba, both 25, were arrested at Pariz Lounge in Ibadan following an intelligence report. NDLEA operatives recovered 267.5 litres of scrunchies (a mixture of black currant and assorted illicit drugs) and 18 grams of Canadian Loud.

In response to these various operations, NDLEA Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), praised the agency’s officers for their relentless efforts.

He commended the Special Operations Units, MMIA, Tincan, Lagos, and Edo Commands for their arrests and seizures. Marwa urged them and their colleagues across Nigeria to maintain the ongoing balanced approach to drug control to effectively combat the drug trade in the country.

Photo source: Daily post