Officials from the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have taken into custody a septuagenarian at Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja, who was found with 11 kilograms of cocaine hidden within his bags.
The suspect, named Ikwuakalom Emeka, was stopped at the airport's departure area as he attempted to board a British Airways flight BA082 to London’s Heathrow Airport.
According to a statement released on Sunday by Femi Babafemi, the NDLEA spokesperson, the cocaine was cleverly concealed within food items such as ground dry pepper, and it was meticulously wrapped in foil and balloons to evade detection during security screenings.
During questioning, the suspect claimed he was headed to the United Kingdom for a vacation, prior to the drugs being detected during a detailed search of his belongings.
Babafemi noted that this arrest was part of a series of coordinated anti-drug operations conducted by the agency in various states.
In a related operation in Lagos, NDLEA agents, acting on intelligence, conducted a raid at a hotel situated in Victoria Island, apprehending Maryam Olalowo as she allegedly attempted to sell cocaine and a type of cannabis referred to as Canadian Loud.
Maryam was found in the company of her three children, one of whom is an infant.
During her interrogation, she allegedly stated that the drugs belonged to her husband, Ibrahim Olalowo Olatunji, who was subsequently arrested the same day.
Investigations revealed that Olatunji had previously been apprehended, convicted, and sentenced to two and a half years in prison in 2015 for a similar drug-related offence.
Further crackdown efforts in Lagos led to two arrests at Ebute Ero, where 68,000 pills of tramadol of various strengths were discovered in a truck reportedly bound for the Benin Republic.
Subsequent raids at Idumota Market resulted in the detention of Nnamdi Cyprian, who allegedly owned the shipment after officers found 1,000 tramadol tablets prepared for dispatch via a waybill service.
Days later, another raid at the same market led to the capture of Nwanosike Kelvin, who had 47,500 ampoules of pentazocine injections in his shop.
In Kano, NDLEA agents arrested an individual with 386 kilograms of skunk, while another was detained in Gwagwalada, Federal Capital Territory, with 282.2 kilograms of the same substance.
Within Edo State, officials raided cannabis farms located inside the Egwa Forest Reserve in the Orhionmwon Local Government Area, arresting a suspect and destroying over 4.2 tonnes of skunk across two fields.
Additionally, authorities seized 339,800 bottles of codeine-based syrup, hidden inside two containers at the Apapa Seaport in Lagos during a joint inspection conducted with customs officials and other security personnel.
The NDLEA reported that the containers had been under observation due to intelligence suggesting they were being utilized to smuggle opioids into Nigeria.
Maj. Gen. Buba Marwa (rtd), the Chairman and CEO of NDLEA, praised the officers involved in the operations carried out in Abuja, Lagos, Kano, Edo, and the Federal Capital Territory. He encouraged them to maintain their vigorous efforts against both drug supply and demand.
Marwa also emphasized the ongoing War Against Drug Abuse campaign, which aims to educate schools and communities nationwide through awareness initiatives designed to deter drug use among young people.
Michael Olugbode in Abuja
Comments (0)
You must be logged in to comment.
Be the first to comment on this article!