30 Suspects Quizzed As NDLEA Seizes N4.4bn Cocaine At Lagos Airport

Thirty suspects have been grilled after a bid by members of an international drug syndicate that operates between Brazil, Ethiopia and Nigeria to smuggle into Lagos a total of 845 wraps of cocaine weighing 18.72 kilograms was thwarted and the consignments recovered by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) Ikeja.

According to a statement signed by the NDLEA’s Director of Media & Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, on Sunday, the drug consignments worth N4,492,800,000 in street value were recovered from two lavatories of an Ethiopian Airlines aircraft during the post-landing cleaning of the cabin of flight ET900 from Addis Ababa to Lagos on Tuesday, October 29, 2024.

The illicit drug consignments were wrapped in nine polythene bags and hidden in the waste collectors in the two rear lavatories of the aircraft, from where they were recovered after the MMIA Strategic Command of NDLEA was alerted about the strange objects.

“No fewer than 30 suspects have so far been grilled in connection with the seizure.
Investigations revealed that the seized drugs were conveyed from Brazil to Ethiopia through ingestion and excreted in Addis Ababa by a set of couriers while some other traffickers picked them up and attempted to smuggle them into Nigeria through the Lagos Airport before their attempt was frustrated with the cooperation of the airline’s authorities and other airport stakeholders,” Babafemi stated.

In the same vein, attempts by some drug trafficking syndicates to export 2.928kg cocaine, cannabis and tramadol 225mg concealed in body cream containers, and pieces of art work to Australia, United Arab Emirates and United Kingdom through some courier companies in Lagos were also blocked by NDLEA officers of the Directorate of Operations and General Investigation (DOGI) on Monday, October 28.

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At the Apapa seaport in Lagos, NDLEA operatives on Tuesday, October 29 intercepted 754,000 pills of tapentadol and acetaminophen 225mg worth N525,000,000 in a targeted and watch-listed container from India during a joint examination with men of the Nigeria Customs Service and other security agencies.

In the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), a suspect Mujahid Hamisu, 24, was arrested with 147,000 pills of tramadol concealed in black nylon bags containing plumbing materials along Kwali-Gwagwalada Abuja expressway on his way from Onitsha, Anambra State on Saturday, November 2, 2024, while another suspect Seun Abimbola, 47, was nabbed by NDLEA operatives same day with 512 grams of methamphetamine during a raid operation at Giri junction area of the FCT.

In Kogi State, NDLEA officers on patrol along Kabba-Obajana highway arrested Mercy Ameh, 28, in a commercial bus travelling from Lagos to Abuja while a search of her luggage led to the recovery of fake Naira notes totalling ₦4,353,200, even as another suspect Shaibu Dahiru, 27, was nabbed in a vehicle coming from Lagos to Katsina along Lokoja-Okene-Abuja road on Wednesday, October 30 with 68 blocks of cannabis weighing 27.400kg.

A notorious drug dealer Usman Abba (alias Timaya) who had been on the watchlist of the Katsina State command of NDLEA was on Wednesday, October 30 arrested at Liberty Hotel, Kofar Kaura in Katsina with consignments of Arizona, a strain of cannabis. Same day, NDLEA operatives in Adamawa State arrested a suspect Augustine Dike, 31, with 50.3 grams of methamphetamine at Quarisa Hotel, Jimeta.

In Taraba State, operatives on Friday, November 1, arrested Danlami Fakwa, 46, at Sabon Gari, Jalingo LGA, with 49.795kg cannabis, while a total of 561kg of same substance was recovered from a Sienna bus at Ogbese village in Ondo State on Monday, October 28.

Also, a suspect Kabiru Yusuf, 25, was on Saturday, November 2, arrested in possession of 51,813 pills of tramadol and exol 5 at NDA Bus Stop, Kaduna, just as raids in Edo state led to the seizure of 603.6kg cannabis at Farm road, Ekiadolor and 308.4kg of same substance at Uroe community.

Meanwhile, across the country, NDLEA Commands continued their War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) sensitisation lectures and advocacy visits to worship centres, schools, workplaces, palaces of traditional rulers and communities all through the past week.

“Instances include: WADA sensitization lecture to students and staff of Government Day Secondary School, Sanganare, Adamawa; students of College of Arts and Islamic Studies, Tungan Magajiya, Niger state; students and staff of Regina Catholic International College, Obehie, Abia state; students and teachers of Akinmorin Grammar School, Oyo, Oyo state; as well as students and teachers of Redeemer’s International School, Abakaliki, Ebonyi state, among others,” Babafemi noted.

While commending the officers and men of MMIA, DOGI, Apapa, Kogi, FCT, Adamawa, Katsina, Kaduna, Ondo, Taraba, and Edo Commands of the anti-narcotic Agency for the arrests and seizures of the past week, chairman/chief executive officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), also applauded their compatriots in all the commands across the country for intensifying the WADA sensitisation lectures and advocacy messages to every part of their areas of responsibility.