By. ADA ONONYE
Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, have intercepted over 2,060 kilogrammes of assorted drugs including heroin, methamphetamine, cannabis, tramadol and rohypnol in operations at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, MMIA, Lagos in South-West Nigeria as well as Ondo, Edo, Kano, Kaduna, Plateau States and some courier companies.
According to the Agency’s spokesman Femi Babafemi, consignments of heroin weighing 4.40 kilogrammes and 550 grams were intercepted on October 6 and 15 respectively at the cargo shed of the MMIA, Ikeja. The first was seized at the SAHCO import shed of the airport when it was discovered inside bags of granulated sugar and flour from Johannesburg, South Africa via Addis Ababa to Lagos on an Ethiopian Airlines flight. Two suspects; Chukwuemeka Ugochukwu, a freight agent that cleared the consignment and one Kabiru Aminu, a stock keeper that was to collect the cargo for onward distribution to recipients were arrested for further investigation.
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In a follow up operation on 9th October, one Adeoya Segun Joy who was to collect the luggage from Kabiru Aminu was arrested at Ajao Estate while Enahoro Emmanuel Annointing who was also assigned to collect the consignment was nabbed in Abuleegba area of Lagos State. Both were acting on instructions from their partners in South Africa.
The second consignment discovered at the SAHCO export shed and concealed in walls of 10 cartons laced with tailoring materials, was heading to Malaysia via Addis Ababa on Ethiopian cargo airline, while a freight forwarding agent, Ekpe Samson Victor was arrested in connection with the illegal export.
Attempts by another freight agent, Igwe Okoye Onwukwe to export two consignments of cannabis to the United Kingdom have also been foiled by NDLEA operatives. The first attempt was made on October 15, when Igwe Okoye Onwukwe presented a carton of 16.55 kilogrammes cannabis for export to UK at the NAHCO export shed where he was promptly arrested.
Curiously, another consignment of 15.85 kilogrammes of cannabis also heading to UK and intercepted on 20th October, was traced to Onwukwe as the owner even while still undergoing investigation in custody.
In Ondo State, also in South-West Nigeria, two persons namely Uchenna Obodo Ali, 22, and Tochukwu Eno, 20, were arrested with 302 kilogrammes of cannabis when operatives raided a warehouse in Emure forest in Owo LGA on Friday 22nd October.
In Kano, North-West Nigeria, a 45-year-old driver Mohammed Haruna was arrested with 10,161 sachets of Tramadol and Rohypnol tablets and capsules while conveying the illicit drugs in a bus for distribution.
Likewise in Kaduna State, also in North-West Nigeria, another suspected fake soldier, Abiodun Ademoya, from Akure South in Ondo State was arrested in Zaria with 11.6 kilogrammes of cannabis.
In Plateau State, North-Central Nigeria, operatives intercepted a Yola bound mass transit bus, with registration number FKY 341 ZA belonging to Gombe Express coming from Lagos, along Jos-Abuja Road, within Riyom LGA. One of the passengers, Ahmad Musa Musa, 32, was found in possession of 22 pellets of compressed Cannabis Sativa with a total weight of 15 kilogrammes concealed inside a black bag.
In a most audacious move, a nursing mother, 35-year-old Mariam Drissu was arrested at the Edo State Command headquarters of the Agency on Thursday 21st October while trying to smuggle drugs into the cell for a suspect in custody. Officers on duty had while searching the food brought by Mariam for her relation in custody discovered two cups of “Loud” cannabis weighing 13 grams buried inside the food, popularly known as “akpu” meant for the suspect in custody.
In the same vein, officers of the Edo State Command also on Thursday raided a Cannabis farm measuring 3.210691 hectares, in Ayegunle forest, Akoko Edo area of the state, destroying the plantation and evacuated 100 bags of harvested cannabis weighing 1,639 kilogrammes while a suspect, Samuel Ochonogor was arrested in the forest with 66.7. kilogrammes of cannabis.
At some courier companies in Lagos, over 4.5 kilograms of methamphetamine concealed in palm fruit tins, artwork, bottles of cashew nuts, auto spare parts, and picture frame going to Australia, New Zealand, Hong Kong, and Qatar were intercepted by operatives of the Directorate of Operation and General Investigations, DOGI, of the Agency.
(Editor: Terverr Tyav)
