The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested three sexagenarian grandfathers and a Nigerien in connection with the seizure of over 52.252 kilograms of Cocaine, Methamphetamine, and Skunk.
The Director, Media and Advocacy, NDLEA, Mr Femi Babafemi said this in a statement on Sunday in Abuja.
Babafemi said that 32, 590 pills of opioids was also seized Lagos, Kwara, Plateau, Sokoto and two courier companies by operatives of NDLEA.
He said that a suspect, Benjamin Chimaobi who frequents Cameroun, Ethiopia, Uganda and had been on NDLEA’s watchlist was on Sat. Feb. 18 arrested at Victory estate, Iba, Ojo area of Lagos.
He also said that the suspect was arrested in connection with the seizure of a 19.70kgs cocaine abandoned on an Ethiopian airline flight that arrived Lagos airport on Thursday Feb. 9.
According to him, Chimaobi had travelled to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia to pick the consignment.
“He claimed it was handed over to him in a black backpack bag on the plane in Addis Ababa but failed to disembark with it on arrival in Lagos.
“While the agency continues to investigate the flight crew members, relevant intelligence and investigative tools were deployed to identify the passenger who brought the consignment to Nigeria.
“This which was as a result of which Chimaobi was eventually unraveled and traced to Victory estate, Iba where he was arrested, “he said.
In the same vein, operatives on Thursday Feb. 23 intercepted an intending passenger on Turkish Airline flight to Torino via Milan, Italy at the Departure Hall of the Lagos airport, Obazee Timothy Eguagie, with various quantities of opioids.
Babafemi said that the consignment was consisting a total of 22, 840 tablets of Tramadol 225mg weighing 10.60 kg.
“Other includes 1000 tablets of Tramadol 200mg with a gross weight of 600 grams; 2, 300 capsules of Tramadol 100mg, weighing 800 grams.
“60 tablets of Rohypnol 1mg, weighing 19 grams were concealed inside cloths and wrapped with black tapes, “he said.
The following day, Friday Feb. 24, NDLEA operatives attached to the Nigerian Aviation Handling Company Plc (NAHCO) import shed of the airport intercepted eight cartons of shoes coming from Los Angeles, United States of America.
Babafemi said that a diligent examination of the cargo however showed that the shoes were used to conceal a total of 37 parcels of Loud variant of Cannabis with a gross weight of 20.10 kilograms.
He said that a 63-year-old grandfather, Balogun Akinlabi hired as freight agent to clear the illicit consignment has already been arrested.
“Two other sexagenarians arrested in connection with drug trafficking include Butven Siman, 62, who was nabbed with 5.5kgs skunk on Friday Feb. 17 at Timbol village, Langtang South LGA, Plateau state.
“Also, a 65-year-old Musa Shuaib was arrested with a kilogram of cannabis on Thursday Feb. 23 in Adewole area of Ilorin, the Kwara state capital, “he said.
Babafemi said that operatives of NDLEA recovered a total of 4.292 kilograms of psychoactive drugs including Methamphetamine, Tramadol, Lexaton, and Swindon.
He said that the drugs which were at two major courier companies in Lagos were concealed in walls of cartons, picture frames, bathing soap packs and bedsheets.
He added that they were recovered from parcels going to United Kingdom, New Zealand and Australia by officers of the NDLEA Directorate of Operations and General Investigation, (DOGI) attached to the logistics firms.
Babafemi said that NDLEA operatives at the Illela land border on Tuesday Feb. 21 intercepted a Nigerien, Bashar Abdu of Kwanni, Niger Republic with 1.460kgs of skunk wrapped round his private part.
He said that a suspect, Mohammed Garba (a.k.a Alfazazi), was also arrested with 6,390 tablets of Tramadol 225mg, weighing 3.4kgs on Thursday Feb. 23 along Abuja-Kaduna express road.