Attempts by members of organised criminal groups using various disingenuous modes of concealment to import consignments of illicit substances into Nigeria and export same to the United Kingdom and the United Arab Emirates through the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, and Tincan Seaport in Lagos, have been thwarted by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency.
The Director, Media and Advocacy, NDLEA, Femi Babafemi, revealed this in a statement obtained by our correspondent on Sunday.
Babafemi noted that no less than 37.5kgs of such illicit consignments were intercepted in the past week, with the arrest of 11 suspects in interdiction operations that led to the seizure of almost four tons of skunk in Kaduna, Kano and Lagos State.
He said, “At the Lagos airport, a freight agent, Ogunsina Damilare, was arrested on Friday, January 6 following a bid to export 1.5kg of skunk hidden in foodstuffs to Dubai, UAE through the SAHCO export shed of the MMIA, while a similar attempt to ship 11.5kgs of the same substance to the United Kingdom was frustrated when the consignment concealed in a giant wooden sculpture was intercepted by NDLEA operatives of the Directorate of Operations and General Investigations at a courier company in Lagos.”
He added that the latter emanated from Ghana with London as destination.
“At the Tincan port in Lagos, a shipment of 24.5kg cannabis indica to Nigeria from Montreal, Canada was intercepted by operatives while an N8million bribe offered NDLEA officers by the importer has been secured in an account for the prosecution of the case.
“While the importer, Cedrick Maduweke, is still at large, one of his accomplices, Steve Adigwe, has been arrested. The consignment was hidden in a used Toyota Sienna vehicle that arrived the port along with three other cars in a container marked MSMU 5082733.”
Babafemi further revealed that a total of 3,672kg of cannabis sativa were recovered from two locations and five suspects were arrested in Kaduna during separate raid operations.
He said, “Arrested at a warehouse at Rido village on Wednesday, January 3, include: Edward Emmanuel, 28, and Miracle Madu, with 298 bags of cannabis sativa weighing 3,576kgs.
“Investigations revealed that the consignment was moved from a southern state to Kaduna in a petroleum product bearing truck. Also, two other suspects: Sunday Bassey, 29 and Jessica Daniel, 14, were nabbed with 96kgs of same substance at Gonin Gora area of the state, while Sanusi Isah, 30, was arrested on Saturday, January 7 at Giwa area with over 12,000 tablets of Tramadol 225mg and Diazepam.
“In Kano, the NDLEA operatives on Saturday, January 7, intercepted Kabiru Abdulhamid, 40, with 119 blocks of cannabis sativa weighing 73kgs at Semugu area, while a total of 28,400 tablets of tramadol and over 230kgs of cannabis were seized in raid operations in Festac Town and Lagos Island areas of Lagos State.
“Some of the suspects arrested in the Lagos raids include: Rukayyat Eshinlokun; Pelumi Alejo and Banna Maina who specialises in the distribution of illicit drugs disguised as a dispatch rider.
“In Imo State, a suspect, Amechi Moses, was arrested in a follow up operation on Friday, January 6, following the interception of 29,800 tablets of Tramadol 225mg in a commercial bus along Owerri – Onitsha road going to Aba in Abia State.”
The Chairman, NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa (retd.), commended the officers and men of Tincan, MMIA, DOGI, Lagos, Kaduna, Kano and Imo NDLEA commands for the arrests and seizures.
He charged them and their compatriots across the country to intensify the heat on drug cartels in Nigeria while balancing their efforts on supply reduction with drug demand reduction activities.
