The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, on Saturday, arrested seven traffickers and foiled an attempt to ferry out of Nigeria large consignment of hard drugs.
The seizures were made by the operatives of the agency at three major international airports in Port Harcourt, Abuja and Lagos.
Director, Media & AdvocacyNDLEA Headquarters, Abuja, Femi Babafemi said in a statement on Sunday that five suspects were arrested at the Port Harcourt International Airport, on Saturday.
According to him, three of the suspects were arrested during the inward screening of passengers on board Qatar Airline flight QR1433 from Doha to Port Harcourt.
He stated that the three suspects departed Sao Paulo, Brazil on board same Qatar flight, en-route Doha to Abuja and Port Harcourt with a total of 24.96 kilograms of cocaine.
“The first is 51-year-old Udogwu James Johnson who hails from Orlu LGA, Imo State. He was arrested with 5.48kg of cocaine concealed in lotion plastic bottles sealed with candle wax. He claimed he agreed to traffic the drug for a fee of N1million.” He stated.
Babafemi disclosed that another arrest involving one Ezekwueme Ifeanyi Valentine, 32, from Aguata LGA, Anambra State, was apprehended on his arrival.
He stated that the suspect was caught with 10.82kg cocaine packed in 84 sachets concealed in seven duvets, while the third trafficker, Chiezie Ikechukwu Arinze, 35, from Dunukofia LGA, Anambra State, was arrested with 8.66kg cocaine.
Ikechukwu was said to have hidden his drugs in 115 golden and silver colour 30ml breakable bottles factory packaged with lotion on top.
“The fourth suspect, Uchechukwu Onwugbufor, 42, from Idemili North LGA, Anambra State, was arrested at the airport car park while waiting to receive one of the traffickers, Udogwu James and his consignment.
“He claimed he was contacted by someone in Brazil to receive Udogwu and lead him to Lagos for a fee of N100, 000. Uchechukwu Onwugbufor was at the Airport with his neigbour, Nwogu Ezimadu, who is equally being investigated to determine if he is complicit in the crime or not.” He stated.
According to Babafemi, at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, NAIA, Abuja, a Psychology graduate of Imo State University, Owerri, Sebastine Emeka Kelvin, 30, was arrested with 74 pellets of cocaine weighing 1.454kg on arrival aboard Ethiopian Airline flight enroute Doula- Addis Ababa-Abuja on Wednesday, April 13.
He explained that the father of one who claims he was a motor spare parts dealer from Ezeagu in Ezeagu LGA, Enugu State, lived in Cameroon for six years before going into the drug business.
The suspect on interrogation, said he went into drug business to raise money to boost his trade.
He added that he was introduced to the drug cartel by a certain man who gave him the drugs at Addis Ababa. He said the drug was given to the man that gave him the by a person, who is serving jail term for drug offence at the Doula Newbell Prison.
“In Lagos, another Brazil-based passenger, Uba Samuel, was arrested at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, MMIA, by NDLEA operatives on Friday 15th April on arrival aboard Ethiopian Airline flight from Sao Paulo via Addis Ababa to Lagos with sachets of cocaine weighing 633grams concealed in his footwear and toothpaste tube.
“The suspect who claims to be a shoemaker and barber hails from Umunneochi, Abia state. While accepting ownership of the drug, he said he used his shoe making knowledge to conceal the drug in his pair of sandals. Uba who is a regular traveller confessed he bought the drug to sell at a market in Abia.” He stated.
NDLEA said their operatives also, recovered more illicit substances in a raid operations in other parts of the country.
According to the Agency, the operatives recovered drugs in Gadaka village of Fika LGA, Yobe State, adding that the operatives arrested one Hassan Usman with a total of 22, 110 tablets of Tramadol, D5 and Exol 5.
He disclosed further that while one Ali Mohammed was nabbed in a commercial vehicle coming from Kano to Maiduguri with 40 blocks of cannabis weighing 33kg, another one Ibrahim Khalil Idris was picked up with 60 packets of Tramadol, in Kano- Maiduguri route all on Tuesday, April 12.
“In Kogi state, 750 blocks of Cannabis weighing 750kg were seized from two suspects: Hassan Adamu, 25, and Abdulmalik Abdullahi, 24, along Okene-Abuja highway. The drug exhibits were concealed inside fabricated panels of a Ford bus”. He disclosed.
According to him, the Chairman and Chief Executive of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Retd), commended the officers and men of the PHIA, NAIA, MMIA, Yobe, and Kogi Commands of the Agency for stopping desperate attempts by drug cartels to traffic dangerous drugs into Nigeria and across the country.
He said Marwa was happy for the interceptions adding that the huge seizures at the airports would send a strong message to drug barons that Nigeria will no longer be their safe destination or transit route.
