September 19, (THEWILL) – Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have seized hundreds of kilograms of illicit substances at airports, courier firms and hideouts while also destroying hectares of cannabis farms in remote forests across the country.
The agency in a statement released on Sunday by its spokesperson, Femi Babafemi, said attempts by a female passenger, Isesele Obehi, and one Emmanuel Chibuzor Omebere to export illicit drugs to Europe through the Murtala Mohammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos and the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport (NAIA), Abuja were thwarted by narcotic officers who arrested them shortly before they boarded their flights.
He said that Isesele was nabbed on Saturday September 11, 2021 during outward clearance of Ethiopian Airline flight at Gate B departure hall of the Lagos airport on her way to Milan, Italy with 312 sachets of Tramadol, weighing 1.5kg, concealed in crayfish and dried vegetables. Meanwhile, Chibuzor was caught with 137.45 grams of the same drug concealed in foodstuff at the Abuja airport on Thursday September 2, 2021, during outward clearance of Turkish Airline flight to Istanbul, Turkey.
“In the same vein, efforts by desperate traffickers to export varying sizes of consignments containing cocaine, heroin and other illicit drugs through courier firms were also foiled.
“Some of these include 475grams of heroin concealed in food items going to Canada; 202grams of cocaine hidden in body cream containers going to Australia; 720grams of cannabis Sativa tucked in computer hard drives heading to United Arab Emirates (UAE) and another 2.1kg of cannabis hidden in body cream bottles going to Oman, while 60grams of cocaine concealed in degree certificates meant for Australia was also seized, all from three courier firms in Lagos,” Babafemi said.
Also, a 38-year-old pregnant woman, Kate Ngozi Nwuju, was arrested on Tuesday 14 September at her residence in Rumueme, Mile 4 area of Port Harcourt, Rivers State with 4.5kgs of cannabis following intelligence that she sells drugs.
Similarly, one Aliyu Saidu, suspected to be a fake soldier, was arrested with 2.3kg of cannabis in a commercial bus from Lagos to Makurdi, on Monday, September 13, 2021, at Aliade checkpoint, Benue state.
In Kano, one Shuaibu Yusuf was arrested on Friday, September 17, 2021, with 537kg of cannabis, concealed among bags of cement in a truck, while in Ogun state, five people were arrested on Tuesday, September 14, 2021 after their truck conveying 552kg of cannabis was intercepted at Ogere Remo, along the Lagos-Ibadan expressway.
In a related development, narcotic officers on motorised patrol on Friday, September 17, 2021, arrested 21-year-old Law Ubi at Marian Road, Calabar, Cross River state with 67.4 kg of cannabis while a follow up search of his residence the following day led to the recovery of 4.2g of cocaine.
In Edo state, operatives stormed remote forests in Ovia North East area of the state between 8th and 16 September, destroyed over 14 hectares of cannabis farms, and recovered 172.6kg of cannabis.
Three female and a male suspects were also arrested in raids across Owan East and Akoko Edo areas of the state. Different quantities of cannabis and local mixtures called monkey tail were recovered from them.
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