UK-bound Grandpa Arrested With 11kg Cocaine

Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have arrested a 74-year-old grandpa, Ikwuakalom Nwakoro Emeka, at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport (NAIA), Abuja, after a large consignment of cocaine was discovered in foil papers and balloons concealed in his luggage.

The septuagenarian who claimed he was travelling to London, United Kingdom for vacation, was arrested by NDLEA officers at the Departure Hall of the airport while attempting to board a British Airways flight BA082 to Heathrow London on Saturday.

NDLEA spokesperson, Femi Babafemi, said during a search of his luggage, blocks of cocaine weighing 11 kilogrammes were discovered concealed inside food items, including ground dry pepper, carefully wrapped in foil papers and balloons.

He also saidin Lagos, NDLEA operatives acting on credible intelligence in the early hours of Monday, March 9, arrested a woman, Mrs Maryam Olalowo, at Ikad Hotel and Suites, on Etim Inyang Street, Victoria Island, while attempting to sell 89 grammes of cocaine and 20 grammes of Canadian Loud, a strain of cannabis.

She was found with her three children, including an infant, at the time of the arrest.

“She confessed the illicit drugs belong to her husband, Ibrahim Olalowo Olatunji, who was later taken into custody same day while his wife was immediately set free.

Ibrahim confirmed ownership of the illicit drugs in his statement while 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 NDLEA stated.

In another interdiction operation, NDLEA operatives arrested two suspects: Kalilou Simpara and Saidu Ibrahim at Ebetu Ero, Lagos Island where they recovered 68,000 pills of tramadol 250mg and 225mg after they had loaded the exhibits into their truck and preparing to transport them to Benin Republic on Monday, March 9.

A follow-up operation was conducted on Wednesday, March 11, at Idumota market, Lagos Island, where the actual owner of the consignment, Nnamdi Cyprian, was arrested. A search of his shop led to the discovery of a parcel already prepared for waybill delivery, containing 1,000 tablets of tramadol 250mg. Another raid at Idumota market on Friday, March 13, led to the arrest of Nwanosike Kelvin and the recovery of 47,500 ampoules of pentazocine injection from his shop.

While a 42-year-old Magaji Dan Azumi was arrested at Bebeji area of Kano with 386kg skunk on Tuesday, March 10, NDLEA officers in Abuja recovered 282.2kg skunk from a suspect Isah Wako, 42, in Gwagwalada area of the FCT on Friday, March 13.

In Edo State, NDLEA operatives raided the Egwa forest reserve in Aduan village, Orhionmwon LGA where a suspect Chinedo Odalonu, 33, was apprehended and a total of 4,218.96kg skunk destroyed on two farms with 16.5kg of same substance recovered.