In the last week, NDLEA agents maintained their countrywide onslaught against drug traffickers, capturing hundreds of kilos of illicit drugs at airports, courier businesses, hideouts, and destroying hectares of cannabis fields in isolated areas.
Attempts by a female passenger, Isesele Obehi, and one Emmanuel Chibuzor Omebere to allegedly export illicit drugs to Europe via the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, MMIA, Lagos and the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, were thwarted by narcotic officers who arrested them shortly before they boarded their flights, according to the agency's latest statement on Sunday.
Isesele was apprehended on Saturday, September 11th, 2021 during outward clearance of an Ethiopian Airlines flight at Gate B departure hall of the Lagos airport on her way to Milan, Italy, with three hundred and twelve (312) sachets of Tramadol, weighing 1.5kg, hidden in crayfish and dried vegetables, according to an NDLEA spokesman, Femi Babafemi.
On the same day, Chibuzor was apprehended with 137.45 grams of the same narcotic hidden in food at the Abuja airport during the outbound clearance of a Turkish Airlines aircraft to Istanbul, Turkey.
In a similar vein, alleged drug traffickers have attempted to export different amounts of consignments including cocaine, heroin, and other illicit narcotics using courier services firms were also foiled.
475 grams of heroin hidden in food items bound for Canada; 202 grams of cocaine hidden in body cream containers bound for Australia; 720 grams of Cannabis Sativa tucked in computer hard drives bound for the United Arab Emirates, UAE, and another 2.1kg of cannabis hidden in body cream bottles bound for Oman; and 60 grams of cocaine hidden in degree certificates bound for the United Arab Emirates, UAE.
Similarly, Kate Ngozi Nwuju, a 38-year-old pregnant lady, was caught with 4.5 kilos of cannabis on Tuesday, September 14th, at her home in Rumueme, Mile 4 area of Port Harcourt, Rivers State, following intelligence that she was smuggling the drug.
Also, on Monday, September 13th, at Aliade checkpoint in Benue State, one Aliyu Saidu, suspected of being a fake soldier, was caught with 2.3kg of Cannabis Sativa on a commercial bus from Lagos to Makurdi.
One Shuaibu Yusuf was arrested in Kano on Friday, September 17th, with 537kg of Cannabis Sativa hidden among cement bags in a truck, while five people were arrested in Ogun state on Tuesday, September 14th, after their truck carrying 552kg of cannabis was intercepted at Ogere Remo, along the Lagos-Ibadan expressway.
On a related event, narcotic cops on motorized patrol arrested a 21-year-old Law Ubi on Friday, September 17th, in Marian Road, Calabar, Cross River State, with 67.4 kg cannabis, while a follow-up search of his house the next day, Saturday, yielded 4.2 grams of cocaine.
Meanwhile, between the 8th and 16th of September, operators in Edo attacked isolated forests in the state's Ovia North East region, destroying almost 14 hectares of cannabis fields and recovering 172.6kg of cannabis.
In operations throughout the state's Owan East and Akoko Edo regions, three girls and a male suspect were also apprehended. They were found with various amounts of cannabis and a native combination known as monkey tail.
The Chairman/Chief Executive of the NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa, praised the officers and men of the Lagos airport, Abuja airport, Benue, Kano, Ogun, Rivers, Cross River, and Edo commands, as well as the agency's Directorate of Operation and General Investigation, DOGI, for keeping the heat on drug dealers.
