NDLEA arrests woman over cocaine concealed in lipsticks

Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have arrested a businesswoman, Mrs Nwafor Roseann Nneka, at the Trade Fair Complex, Ojo, Lagos, after tracing a July 10 consignment of cocaine and phenacetine concealed in ladies’ lipsticks bound for Malabo, Equatorial Guinea.

Spokesperson for the agency, Femi Babafemi, disclosed in a statement on Sunday that two cargo agents were earlier arrested. While Nneka was reported to have confessed to purchasing the lipsticks used for concealment, her husband and accomplice, Remigus Nwafor, remains at large.

Elsewhere, operatives in Abuja arrested three dispatch riders—Sabo Sule, 24; Samuel Nnamdi, 28; and Idris Jibrin, 28—caught distributing 149.8 grams of Canadian Loud, a potent cannabis strain, across Gwarimpa, Jahi, and Galadimawa. Two other suspects were also apprehended on the Abaji-Gwagwalada expressway with 91.1kg of skunk.

The agency added that further arrests were recorded across several states. In Lagos, Joseph Michael was caught in Mushin with 3.3kg of Colorado, while Ibrahim Sulaiman was arrested in Yaba with 16.5 litres of skuchies. In Benue, Hussein Yusuf, 37, was nabbed at a checkpoint with 100,000 tramadol capsules. Edo operatives seized 233.5kg of skunk from a warehouse in Ekpoma and arrested William Alabi, 44.

At the Maiduguri airport in Borno, Umar Aminu, 38, was caught with 160 tramadol pills concealed in footwears. In Ogun, Yahaya Aminat Seyi was found with 7,218 pills of opioids in the Oja Odan area. In Oyo, 77.5kg of skunk was recovered from Oladeji Saka in Ibadan. In Delta, Benson Izah, 40, was arrested in Abraka with skunk, tramadol, and 14.4 litres of codeine.

In Bayelsa, Chief Emeka Opara, 52, and Onuoha Chidinma, 25, were apprehended in Amassoma with 41,705 tramadol capsules. In Kano, Bashir Gambo, 30, was caught with 61kg of skunk. Finally, in Osun, Kabiru Ayinde, 40, and Roqeeb Adekanmbi, 25, were arrested at Ile-Ogbo in Iwo with 90kg of skunk, 36.3 grams of methamphetamine, a Toyota bus, and ₦228,200 in cash.

The agency also continued its War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) sensitisation campaign nationwide. It said activities were held in schools, religious centres, transport hubs, and royal palaces, including a visit to the Oluwo of Iwo land, Oba Abdurasheed Adewale Akanbi.

Commending officers across the MMIA, MBIAM, FCT, and various state commands, NDLEA Chairman/CEO, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Marwa (Rtd), urged continued commitment to a balanced approach in tackling drug trafficking and abuse.