NDLEA Arrests Saudi-bound Trafficker with Cocaine in Sandals

Michael Olugbode in Abuja

Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), have arrested a member of Lagos major drug syndicate, a 56-year-old, Lawal Oyenuga, who was on a mission to deliver 400 grammes of cocaine concealed in a pair of palm sandals in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

Orenuga’s arrest led to a swift follow-up arrest of a wanted notorious kingpin, Wasiu Gbolahan popularly known as Teacher, who is notorious for the recruitment of mules for the cartel.

A statement on Sunday by the spokesman of NDLEA, Femi Babafemi, said operatives of the anti-narcotics agency attached to the screening point of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, had on Thursday 24th November intercepted Oyenuga with a pair of black palm sandals packed in the luggage he was going with to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia via Addis Ababa on an Ethiopian Airways flight.

Babafemi disclosed that a thorough examination of the sandals revealed they were used to conceal two parcels of cocaine weighing 400 grammes, noting that this was barely a week after a 56-year-old widow and mother of four, Mrs. Ajisegiri Sidika, was arrested at the airport over her attempt to traffic 400 grammes of cocaine concealed in her footwear to Makkah, Saudi Arabia on board a Qatar Airways flight.

The spokesman said Oyenuga in his statement claimed he was recruited to traffic the drug by Wasiu Gbolahan popularly known as Teacher, adding that he was first given some pellets of cocaine to swallow but when he couldn’t do that, he was given the ones concealed in the palm sandals.

He confessed to have resorted to the criminal trade to raise money to pay an examination fee for his daughter who is in Senior Secondary School (SSS) 3.

Babafemi said the agency’s database revealed that Wasiu Sanni (Teacher) has been linked to some previous attempts to traffic cocaine to Saudi Arabia and Dubai, UAE, and had been fingered as the one who recruited a BRT driver, Bolajoko Babalola for Lagos socialite and owner of Adekaz Hotels, Alhaji Ademola Kazeem (a.k.a Alhaji Abdallah Kazeem Muhammed) to traffic drugs to Dubai.

Bolajoko was arrested on 27th June while taking 900 grammes of cocaine to Dubai while Ademola Kazeem was nabbed on Thursday 10th November, barely 10 days after he was declared wanted by NDLEA.

Babafemi said a follow up operation in the early hours of last Friday led to the arrest of the kingpin, Teacher, who specialises in recruiting mules for drug barons in Lagos and its environs at his residence located in Ikorodu area of Lagos.

The 64-year-old Wasiu Sanni Gbolahan is a housing and property agent, with seven children and four wives, one of whom is now late.