National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) recorded a major feat in its anti-drug war, as its operatives, last Wednesday, intercept 22 blocks of heroin, weighing 23.55kgs and with a street value of worth N4.5billion.
The hard drug, concealed in packs of Nestle Cerelac baby food, was intercepted at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Ikeja, Lagos.
This was contained in a press release, today, by the NDLEA Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, who added that the receiver of the drug consignment, Chike Okeke Eweni, was arrested the following day.
He said the consignment, with a street value of over N4.5billion, came from Johannesburg, South Africa on board a South African Airways flight, last Wednesday, as part of a consolidated cargo that arrived the SAHCO import shed of the Lagos Airport.
“After series of follow up operations that led to the arrest of two freight agents, the actual receiver of the drug consignment, Chike Okeke Eweni, who distributes the substance for his South Africa-based partner, was arrested the following day, Thursday, at a logistics warehouse in Ajao Estate, Ikeja,” the release stated.
Babafemi added that Chike, who hails from Anaocha Local Government Area of Anambra State, claimed, during preliminary interview, that he is also into fish farming.
In another development, Muyiwa Babalola Bolujoko, a former driver with the Lagos State-owned BRT, has excreted 90 pellets of cocaine while in the custody of the NDLEA.
The 39-year-old Ijebu, Ogun State-born was arrested, last Monday, by operatives of the anti-drug agency at the Murtala Muhammed Airport, Ikeja, Lagos.
Babafemi stated the former BRT driver was arrested at the screening point before boarding a Qatar Airways flight enroute Doha to Sharjah, with his trip expected to terminate in Dubai, UAE.
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“The 39-year-old from Ijebu South Local Government Area, Ogun State was placed under excretion observation after body scan result confirmed drug ingestion. While in custody, the suspect excreted all the 90 pellets in four excretions.
“He claimed he left his N60,000 per month job as BRT driver in February and decided to work as drug courier to raise funds to buy a shuttle bus popularly called ‘Korope’ in Lagos to continue his transport business,” Babafemi stated.
Also, operatives of the anti-narcotic agency has nabbed a 68-yr-old woman in Rivers State over 231.2kg cannabis and also seized 2,453.65kg Khat, Colorado from Middle East and the United States.
The 68-year-old woman, Mrs. Celina Ekeke, was arrested, last Wednesday, at Obunku Community, Oyigbo Local Government Area of Rivers State and she was caught with 231.2kg cannabis.
The release added that one Shedrack Eze, was arrested the following day at Yankarfe, Zaria, Kaduna State with 250,000 tablets of Exol 5, weighing 75kg.
Also on Thursday, NDLEA operatives intercepted an in-bound consignment of khat leaves, which arrived the NAHCO import shed of the Lagos airport on Royal Air Maroc flight from the Middle East.
The release disclosed that a total of 71 cartons of dried khat leaves with a gross weight of 2,434.3kg were discovered in the cargo.
“In the same vein, anti-narcotic officers of the Agency also, last Thursday, intercepted 36 parcels of Colorado, a variant of cannabis, with a total weight of 19.30kg which arrived the NAHCO import shed from Los Angeles, US on a Delta Airlines flight.
“After series of follow up operations in which four persons were arrested, the actual owner of the drug consignment, Abibu Afis Sola, was eventually nabbed on Friday in Gbagada area of Lagos.
“In Borno State, Usman Haruna, 27, was arrested at BCG Checkpoint in Biu on Saturday with 19.7kg cannabis,” Babafemi also stated in the release.
Meanwhile, Chairman/Chief Executive of the NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohammed Buba Marwa (rtd), has expressed satisfaction with the exemplary performance of the officers and men of the MMIA Command in the past week.
He also commended those of Rivers, Kaduna and Borno states for being vigilant and charged them and other NDLEA officers across the country to remains steps ahead of the tricks by the desperate drug cartels.
