One Europe-bound teenage student and one female lawyer were among some other suspects caught with tons of illicit drugs by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).
NDLEA operatives arrested the 19-year-old teenage student, Benjamin Nnamani Daberechi, for allegedly attempting to export 7.2 kilograms of methamphetamine to Europe where he was going for undergraduate studies.
The teenage student was caught by NDLEA operatives at the Nnamdi Azikwe International Airport (NAIA) with the illicit drug concealed in crayfish.
The teenage student suspect was intercepted during an outward clearance of passengers on Turkish Airlines flight TK 0624, last Wednesday.
“While being interviewed by operatives, Daberechi claimed he was a student on his way to Cyprus for studies, but upon a thorough search of his luggage, he was found in possession of 7.2kg of whitish substance neatly concealed inside a sack of crayfish.
“A field test of the substance however proved positive to methamphetamine,” NDLEA Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi stated in a press release.
In the same vein, a Lekki, Lagos-based female lawyer, Ebikpolade Helen, has been arrested by operatives of the anti-narcotics agency.
Helen allegedly specialises in production and distribution of skuchies, a mixture of cannabis, opioids and black currant.
She was arrested in a follow up operation in Awka, Anambra State, following an earlier seizure of 5kg cannabis and 12 bottles of prepared skuchies in her apartment at Lekki.
Similarly, operatives of the Tincan Port Command of the agency, last Tuesday, intercepted 116.5kg consignment of Colorado, a strong strain of cannabis.
The illicit drug was concealed in bags hidden in a heap of used vehicles parts on the floor of a container marked FCIU 8459700, bearing three units of used vehicles imported from Toronto, Canada.
“Based on intelligence, the agency had requested for a 100 percent examination of the container which arrived the TICT Terminal of the port on 14 June.
“A joint examination with the Nigeria Customs, DSS and other stakeholders on Tuesday, 11 July however led to the discovery of 233 parcels of the illicit substance stashed inside travelling bags on the floor of the container, covered with used vehicles spare parts,” Babafemi stated.
Also attempts to export various quantities of illicit substances through courier companies were thwarted by NDLEA operatives of the Directorate of Operation and General Investigations (DOGI), Lagos.
Operatives of the anti-narcotics agency also seized 336 grams of skunk stuffed inside computer hard drives going to Dubai, UAE at a courier firm.
Similarly, a suspect, Ibrahim Analu (28), was arrested at Iddo Motor Park, Lagos while attempting to send 151,700 pills of opioids to Kaduna.
NDLEA operatives also discovered a total of 4.830kg skunk at another courier firm in a shipment from Douala, Cameroon passing through Nigeria to Oman.
“The drug was concealed in 10 of 12 cans of palm fruits paste, locally called Banga, packed in a carton,” it was stated in the release.
Abubakar Shuaibu was arrested last Thursday at Cappa, Mushin/Oshodi Road, Lagos with 86 bottles of codeine-based cough syrup weighing 8.6 litres in his Toyota bus marked FFA 241YB.
Two other suspects, Razak Ogunbo and Adeola Idowu were nabbed last Tuesday at Ikorodu, Lagos with 51 litres of skuchies.
“This is even as 372kg cannabis sativa and 48 bottles of skuchies measuring 48 litres were recovered from the home of a fleeing drug dealer at Akala, Mushin Lagos on Wednesday, 12 July,” Babafemi stated.
In Ondo State, operatives stormed a building at Ehin-Ala, Akure South Local Government Area where they arrested one Abubakar Zayanu Gyambar (28) with 162 jumbo bags of skunk weighing 1,944 kilograms.
Another suspect, Henry Wilson (50), was nabbed at Ogume Town in Ndokwa West Local Government Area, Delta State with same substance weighing 216.5kg.
45.41kg cannabis was recovered from Adam Hassan (27) along Inga wa-Mani-Mashi Road, Katsina enroute Niger Republic, while 70kg of same substance was seized from Mamman Nur Shettima on Saturday along Kano-Nguru road, Yobe State.
In Kano State, a suspect, Abdulhamid Lawan Bayaro (48), was nabbed on Friday at the Dan Agundi Area, Kano with 114 blocks of cannabis, weighing 71.7kg.
Similarly, operatives of the anti-narcotics agency recovered 50,000 pills of Tamol, a brand of Tramadol, at the Kofar Waika Area of the state.
912,600 pills of pharmaceutical opioids, including tramadol, were recovered from two commercial vehicles; one coming from Lagos to Kano; the other was intercepted along Abuja-Jere-Kaduna Expressway, with a suspect, Sahabi Lawal (25), arrested.
“In Borno State, 32-year-old Umar Tijjani Mustapha was arrested last Thursday at Gangamari, MMC, with 55.25kg skunk,” Babafemi concluded.
NDLEA Chairman, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (rtd), has commended the tenacity of the officers and men of NAIA, Tincan, Lagos, Ondo, Katsina, Yobe, Delta, Kano, Kaduna and Borno commands as well as those of DOGI.
The head of the anti-narcotics agency also charged them and their compatriots across the country to remain vigilant.
