NDLEA Arrests Nigerians, Ghanaian with Drugs

Michael Olugbode in Abuja

Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) in its latest clampdown on drug traffickers has arrested a Ghanaian and two Nigeriens at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, and Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu, for allegedly trafficking a total of 9.953 kilogrammes of cocaine and methamphetamine.

A statement issued yesterday by the spokesman of the agency, Femi Babafemi, said one of the suspects, Uzoh Ndubuisi, was arrested at about 5.30p.m. last Wednesday during an inward screening of Ethiopian Airlines passengers at the arrival hall of the airport.

He said Uzoh, who arrived from Brazil via Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, was controlled and arrested with cocaine covered with cloths, which has a gross weight of 6.7 kilogrammes.

Babafemi said during his interrogation by narcotic officers, Uzoh said he was given the consignment by his enabler based in Brazil with a promise to be paid N3 million upon successful delivery to someone in Nigeria.
In another clampdown, a 53-year-old suspected traveller, Udeh Charley, was arrested at the Enugu airport for ingesting 72 wraps of cocaine weighing 1.253 kilogrammes. He was arrested on December 3 during an outward screening of Ethiopian Airlines passengers going to Rome, Italy, via Addis Ababa.

In custody, he claimed he would have been paid €4000 on successful delivery of the drugs in Italy where he has been living for over 20 years.
He attributed his decision to engage in the ignominious trade on downward turn of his business as a result of COVID-19 pandemic.

In a related development, another suspected trafficker, John Kadja, 25, whose father is from Kumasi, Ashanti region of Ghana and mother from Nsukka, Enugu State, was arrested on December 3 with two kilogrammes of methamphetamine during an outward clearance of Qatar Airways from Abuja to Doha at the departure screening area of Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.

A search of his bag showed that the drug was concealed in a false bottom of his checked in luggage. He said he was travelling to Doha to work as a labourer.

In Ondo State, 43-year-old Onuoha Friday was arrested last Friday on the Lagos-Benin expressway with one million capsules of Tramadol, while in two major arrests in Anambra State, a total of 238.973 kilogrammes of assorted illicit drugs were recovered.

Babafemi said NDLEA operatives on December 3 intercepted a truck at the Onitsha head bridge heading to Delta State, and upon search, various quantities of Codeine, Tramadol, Diazepam, and Rohypnol were recovered from the vehicle, and its driver, Obinna Obinwa, arrested.

Similarly, last Wednesday, the agency’s patrol team on the Onitsha head bridge intercepted another truck going to Delta State with different quantities of assorted illicit drugs while the driver, Lucky James, was also arrested.

He said in Delta State, raids and follow-up operations carried out in parts of the state last Friday led to the arrest of a 17-year-old Abdulkarim Shaibu and 23-year-old Lawal Saidu, both from Niger Republic and four others with different quantities of cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine, tramadol and cannabis. Others arrested included Precious Oghenegwoke, Loveth Omukoro, Uche Godwin, and Uti Harrison.

In Kogi State, Adam Salaudeen was arrested at Ogori Magongo area of the state with 214.7kg of cannabis sativa.
Commending the officers and men of Enugu, Abuja airports commands and their counterparts in Ondo, Anambra and Kogi State for the arrests and seizures in the past week, Chairman/Chief Executive of NDLEA, Mohamed Buba Marwa, charged them and their compatriots across the country to remain vigilant and resolute in the collective mission to rid every part of Nigeria of illicit drugs.