… NDLEA intercepts 249,600 Tramadol tabs at Lagos airport, arrests freight agent***
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested a major importer of Loud variant of cannabis from the United States, Afis Abibu and a 63-year-old grandfather, Afolabi Kolawole for drug trafficking.
This is contained in a statement by the Director, Media and Advocacy, NDLEA, Mr Femi Babafemi on Sunday in Abuja.
Also read: NDLEA arrests 18,940 drug traffickers in 18 months- Marwa
Babafemi said that Abibu and the 63-year-old grandfather were among those arrested by NDLEA operatives at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, (MMIA) Ikeja, Lagos.
He said that Kolawole shipped illicit substances to his daughter in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, UAE while Abibu was arrested in connection with a 19.30kg Colorado consignment from Los Angeles, USA.
This, he said, was intercepted on June 30 at the Nigerian Aviation Handling Company Plc (NAHCO) cargo import shed of the Lagos airport.
He said: “While Abibu was still being interviewed in custody, a 37.1kg consignment of Loud intercepted on July 7 was also traced to him.
“The 63-year-old grandfather is behind an intercepted drug exhibit going to Dubai.
“He was arrested in Ibadan, Oyo State on Thursday, Aug., 18 after more than four sets of arrests eventually unraveled him.
“He confessed that he was responsible for the concealment and packaging of the cannabis inside the black native soap used as a mode of concealment.
“He also admitted this was his second attempt at sending such illicit substance to his daughter, Barakat, in Dubai, ” he said.
In the meantime, the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), has intercepted over 2.3million tablets of illicit pharmaceutical opioids and other psychoactive substances meant for distribution in seven northern states.
The Director, Media and Advocacy, NDLEA, Mr Femi Babafemi, said this in a statement on Sunday in Abuja.
Bababfemi named the states as Borno, Kano, Kaduna, Sokoto, Zamfara, Gombe and Nasarawa.
He added that the agency had a series of interdiction operations in the past week.
Babafemi said that a total of 2, 325, 553.00 tablets and capsules of Tramadol, Pregabalin, Hypnox, Diazepam and Exol-5 were seized in all.
This, he said, included 7, 353 bottles of a new psychoactive substance locally called ‘Akuskura’ meant for the seven states that were seized from locations across Kaduna, Kogi, Sokoto, and the FCT.
According to him, in Kaduna, a drug dealer, Umar Sanusi, was arrested on Aug. 12 during a follow-up operation in Kano.
“He was brought back to Kaduna where his consignment of 50 cartons of pregabalin 300mg, containing 750,000 capsules, weighing 375kgs earlier seized along Abuja-Kaduna expressway was counted and weighed in his presence.
“Same day, operatives also intercepted along Abuja-Kaduna express road 7,068 bottles of a new dangerous substance of abuse called ‘Akuskura’ meant for Kaduna, Zamfara, Gombe, Kano and Borno.
“The recipients in Kaduna and Zamfara had been arrested during follow-up operations, ” he said.
Babafemi said that on Aug. 13, 285 bottles of ‘NPS’ were recovered from a dealer, Abubakar Ahmad, in Kaduna state.
He said that no fewer than 696,000 tablets of Tramadol and Exol-5 among others, were also seized.
They were loaded into a truck at Onitsha, Anambra state and heading to Maiduguri, Borno state, only to be seized along the Okene-Abuja expressway on Friday.
He said that NDLEA operatives had also recovered 300,000 tablets of Diazepam from a suspect, Faruku Bello, 30, in Sokoto State on Wednesday.
“Anti-narcotic officers of the agency in Abuja, FCT, equally at the weekend intercepted a bus loaded with 323, 200 tablets of Tramadol 225mg and others at Onitsha, Anambra state, heading to Nasarawa state.
“Driver of the vehicle, Osita Nwobodo, 45, who made fruitless bids to compromise the operatives is now in custody, ” he said.
Babafemi quoted the Chairman, NDLEA, retired, Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa as commending the officers and men of the Kaduna, Kogi, Sokoto, and FCT commands for the arrests and seizures.
Marwa urged them and their compatriots across the country to intensify their drug supply reduction and drug demand efforts.
In the same vein, the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has intercepted 249,600 tablets of Tramadol (225mg) from a shipment from India at the Skyway Aviation Handling Company Plc (SAHCO) import shed of the Murtala Muhammed Airport Lagos.
The Director, Media and Advocacy, NDLEA, Mr Femi Babafemi said this in a statement on Sunday in Abuja.
Babafemi said that the consignment arrived from India via Addis Ababa on an Ethiopian Airline flight on Aug. 4.
He said it was eventually evacuated on Wednesday as an abandoned seizure.
Meanwhile, a freight agent, Miss Njoko Elizabeth, 37, has been arrested for attempting to export 250grams of Tramadol and cannabis to Dubai.
Babafemi said that the drugs were to be exported through the Nigerian Aviation Handling Company Plc (NAHCO) export shed of Lagos Airport.
He said that the drugs, which were concealed inside some gallons of palm oil and honey, were packed among food items and hair attachments.
Also, an Italy-bound passenger, Oziengbe Ehighalua, 55, was on Friday arrested with 600grams of Tramadol (200mg) while attempting to board a Royal Air Maroc flight to Italy, via Casablanca.
In the same vein, seven cartons of khat leaf weighing 295kg had been seized at the NAHCO import shed of the Lagos Airport.
Babafemi said the consignment came into Nigeria from Tanzania through Cairo on Egypt Air.
In another development, Operatives of the Directorate of Operation and General Investigation (DOGI) in NDLEA, attached to courier firms, have intercepted 11.36kg heroin and cannabis packaged for UAE, Netherlands and Oman.
Babafemi said that the drugs were concealed in a dictionary, fancy light and body cream.
Also, 139 bags and 176 compressed blocks of cannabis loaded in Ogere, Ogun State and heading to Zaria, Kaduna State, were seized by NDLEA operatives along Abuja-Kaduna road, Suleja, in Niger.
Babafemi said the drugs were seized from a company vehicle while the driver, Sani Mohammed, 44, and his assistant, Abubakar Abubakar, 30, were arrested.
“Raids carried out in Akala, Mushin area of Lagos also led to the arrest of Pelumi Goodness and Ola Funke while 1,171.75kg of cannabis and 29 litres of codeine syrup were recovered, “he said.
Babafemi reported the Chairman, NDLEA, Gen. Buba Marwa, as commending the officers and men of the MMIA Command as well as DOGI for the arrests and seizures.
Marwa urged them and their compatriots across the country to intensify their drug supply and demand reduction efforts.
