The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested two women and six men over alleged attempts to import hundreds of cocaine pellets into Nigeria and export thousands of Tramadol 255mg tablets among other illicit drugs to Europe.
Agency spokesman Femi Babafemi said the suspects attempted to carry out the illegal activities through the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport (NAIA), Abuja; Akanu Ibiam International Airport (AIIA), Enugu, and Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos.
In a statement yesterday, Babafemi said the arrests and seizures began on July 17 when one Okwo Paul Okechukwu was apprehended upon his arrival from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia via an Ethiopian Airline flight at the Abuja Airport for allegedly ingesting 76 pellets of cocaine.
Okechukwu claimed to be selling women’s wigs and hair attachment before venturing into the drug trade.
Babafemi also said another suspect, Lawrence Chijioke, 42, was arrested at the Abuja airport on the same day in an operation involving NDLEA and Nigeria Customs Service at the NAIA.
Chijioke, who hails from Umuahia, Abia State, was arrested during an inward clearance of Ethiopian Airline flight from Addis Ababa with 529 pellets of cocaine weighing 11.70kg concealed in his bag.
The statement said: “NDLEA operatives also on Saturday 23rd July arrested 29-year-old Ms. Onuorah Caritas Onyinye at the Enugu airport upon arrival on Ethiopian airline flight from Addis Ababa. A search of her luggage led to the discovery of 2.192kg of cocaine concealed in two designer’s women handbags with false linings.
“No fewer than four freight agents were arrested in connection with the seizure. They include: Balogun Adesola Olamilekan; Sulaimon Kaosarat Yetunde; Benjamin Christopher Joel; and Omoniyi Ibukun Abraham.”
Italy-bound Tony Osas was caught at the Lagos Airport while trying to export 10, 250 tablets of Tramadol 255mg to Europe.
“During a search of his luggage, Osas, from Ovia South – West Local Government Area of Edo State, was found with the illicit substance that weighed 5.70kg concealed inside gari, a local cassava product tucked in his black handbag.
“In Kaduna, a driver Jamilu Lawal, was arrested on Sunday 17th July along Abuja-Kaduna express road, with 157,000 tablets of Diazepam weighing 37.5kg. A follow up operation same day led to the arrest of the actual owner of the consignment, Abubakar Isiyaku, in atsina.”
Other suspects are Isah Mohammed, Mohammed Auwal, Godspower John, Chukwuma Odeh, Tochukwu Joseph Oranusi, Buhari Sambo and Azubuike Ogbanu.
They were arrested in Kano, Kaduna, Sokoto and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).