Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have arrested a 74-year-old man at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport Abuja, after cocaine concealed in food items was found in his luggage.
Femi Babafemi, NDLEA’s director of media and advocacy, in a statement on Sunday, said the suspect, identified as Ikwuakalom Nwakoro Emeka, was arrested at the departure hall of the airport on Saturday while attempting to board a British Airways flight to London.
Babafemi said the suspect, who claimed he was travelling to London for vacation, was intercepted during routine checks.
He added that a search of the suspect’s luggage led to the discovery of blocks of cocaine weighing 11 kilogrammes concealed in food items, including ground dry pepper, and wrapped in foil papers and balloons.
Babafemi said the arrest was part of a series of operations carried out by the agency across the country in the past week.
In Lagos, Babafemi said NDLEA operatives acting on credible intelligence arrested Maryam Olalowo at Ikad Hotel and Suites on Etim Inyang Street, Victoria Island, while she was allegedly attempting to sell 89 grammes of cocaine and 20 grammes of Canadian Loud, a strain of cannabis.
He said the suspect was found with her three children, including an infant, at the time of the arrest.
Babafemi added that she told investigators the illicit drugs belonged to her husband, Ibrahim Olatunji.
He said the husband was subsequently arrested the same day while the woman was immediately released.
Babafemi said Olatunji confirmed ownership of the drugs during interrogation.
“Further investigation revealed that he had previously been arrested, convicted, and sentenced to two and a half years imprisonment for a similar offence in 2015,” the statement reads.
Meanwhile, in another operation in Lagos, Babafemi said NDLEA operatives arrested two suspects; Kalilou Simpara and Saidu Ibrahim, at Ebetu Ero on Lagos Island.
He said officers recovered 68,000 pills of tramadol (250mg and 225mg) after the suspects had loaded the drugs into a truck and were preparing to transport them to Benin Republic on March 9.
Babafemi said a follow-up operation on March 11 led to the arrest of Nnamdi Cyprian, described as the owner of the consignment, at Idumota market on Lagos Island.
He added that a search of his shop uncovered a parcel prepared for waybill delivery containing 1,000 tablets of tramadol (250mg).
Babafemi said another raid at Idumota market on March 13 resulted in the arrest of Nwanosike Kelvin, from whose shop officers recovered 47,500 ampoules of pentazocine injection.
In Kano state, the NDLEA spokesperson said officers arrested Magaji Dan Azumi, 42, at the Bebeji area with 386 kilogrammes of skunk on March 10.
He said NDLEA officers in Abuja also recovered 282.2 kilogrammes of skunk from a suspect, Isah Wako, 42, in the Gwagwalada area of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) on March 13.
Babafemi said operatives in Edo state raided the Egwa forest reserve in Aduan village, Orhionmwon LGA, where a suspect, Chinedo Odalonu, 33, was arrested.
He added that officers destroyed 4,218.96 kilogrammes of skunk on two farms in the forest while recovering 16.5 kilogrammes of the same substance.
Babafemi also said no fewer than 339,800 bottles of codeine-based syrup were intercepted in two containers at the Apapa seaport in Lagos on March 14 during a joint examination involving NDLEA officers, customs officials, and other security agencies.
He said the containers had earlier been placed on a watch list following intelligence suggesting that opioids were concealed in the shipments.
Babafemi said the agency also continued its War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) sensitisation activities across the country, including lectures delivered to students and staff of schools in Nasarawa, Oyo, Delta, Cross River, and Edo states.
He added that the zone 11 command of the agency also paid an advocacy visit to Francis Nwifuru, governor of Ebonyi state.
Babafemi said Buba Marwa, chairman and chief executive officer of NDLEA, commended officers of the Abuja and Lagos airports, Kano, Edo and FCT commands for the arrests and seizures recorded in the past week.
He added that Marwa also praised other commands across the country for maintaining a balance between drug supply reduction and demand reduction efforts.
