By Francis Ugwu
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, says its operatives have arrested a 40-year-old Madrid, Spain-based businessman, Sherif Egbo Ally, at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, NAIA, Abuja while attempting to board an Air France flight to Paris, France, after they discovered he ingested illicit drugs.
NDLEA said Egbo was arrested on Saturday 14th October after a body scanner search revealed he had wraps of illicit drugs in his stomach.
According to the anti-narcotic agency, the suspect was subsequently placed under observation at the exhibit recovery room where he excreted 93 pellets of heroin weighing 2.222 kilograms.
The NDLEA’s Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, in a statement issued on Sunday, stated that the suspect claimed he works at a chicken hatchery farm in Madrid, Spain, and is also into drug trafficking business.
Babafemi also announced that the NDLEA operatives at the NAHCO imports shed of the Murtala Mohammed International Airport, MMIA, Ikeja Lagos, on Monday 16th October, seized a consignment of 10 cartons containing 500,000 pills of tramadol 225mg branded as tapentadol.
He explained that the cargo, which was shipped from India through Qatar Airways with airwaybill number MAWB 319-01227236 was purported to be a transit cargo to Monrovia, Liberia.
Babafemi said the lid was blown open through partnership and real time intelligence sharing mechanisms between NDLEA and its Liberian counterpart.
The spokesperson also announced other seizures made by the Agency.
He said, “Attempt by an intending passenger to Muscat, Oman on Qatar Airways, Ngene Chinecherem Oscar, to export 11.100kgs of skunk and 600grams of tramadol concealed in foodstuffs through the Lagos airport was thwarted by NDLEA officers who arrested him and seized the illicit substances.
“In another operation, NDLEA officers of the Directorate of Operations and General Investigations, DOGI, attached to courier companies on Sunday 15th October intercepted 1kg methamphetamine concealed in containers of body cream going to New Zealand as well as another consignment of 2.5kgs cocaine and phenacetin hidden in walls of a carton heading to Saudi Arabia.
“Two more seizures: 112grams of Dimethyl Sulfone and 583grams of Cocaine and phenacetin were made at another courier company in Lagos on Wednesday 18th October. While the Dimethyl Sulfone was concealed in the hollow of a motor driving shaft going to New Zealand, the consignment of Cocaine and phenacetin was packed into a bottle of body cream heading to Saudi Arabia.
“In Imo State, operatives on Sunday 15th October intercepted a Mercedes Benz container truck marked ABN 418 YN parked in an isolated area along Owerri – Onitsha Expressway. A search of the abandoned truck led to the recovery of 168 bags of skunk weighing 1, 854 kilograms.
“Not less than 1,381.3kgs of the same substance were seized in four interdiction operations in parts of Edo State including: Ekpon community, Igueben LGA; Iguiye forest in Ovia North East LGA; Iruekpen, Ndokwa West where a suspect, Monday Samuel Nwocha was arrested and Egwalor village in Onwude LGA where the duo of Obune Prince and Chika Obi was arrested and their Audi 80 salon car marked BEN 406 CL loaded with cannabis sativa, recovered.
“In Kano State, an ex-convict, Aminu Suleiman, 46, was arrested along with Haruna Abdurrahaman, 41, and Ojo Joseph Esezobor, 34, at Gadar Tamburawa area of the state on Saturday 14th October while 106kgs of cannabis were recovered from them. Aminu was first arrested with 22kgs of cannabis on 3rd June 2022 and convicted by the court on 24th November 2022. Four other suspects: Inusa Fugu Ali, Yahaya Musa, Abba Audu, Ali Abubakar, and Bunu Kyari were also arrested at Gadar Tamburawa area of Kano on Monday 16th October for dealing in 75.3kgs of skunk.
“While operatives of the Zone J Command of the Agency seized 478kgs of cannabis in a forest in Ikere Ekiti on Friday 20th October, those of Ondo State Command recovered a total of 928kgs of the same substance in a bush by Shagari market, along Ifon-Owo express road, and Ibola camp, Ipele forest.
“In Borno State, a suspect, Sani Mohammed, 31, was arrested on Saturday 21st October with 182kgs of cannabis at Njimtilo, along Maiduguri – Damaturu road.”
Babafemi further added that the commands across the 36 states and the FCT equally continued their War Against Drug Abuse, WADA, sensitisation lectures in schools, communities, work places and others.
Meanwhile , the Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd) commended officers and men of the NAIA, MMIA, Imo, Ondo, Kano, Edo, Zone J Commands, as well as those of DOGI, for the arrests and seizures of the past week.
Marwa equally charged them and their compatriots across all formations of the Agency to continue to remain vigilant and double their efforts especially with the desperation of criminal networks to make money by all means towards the end of the year season.
