‘Inward clearance’ Man apprehended with 268 ATM card in his possession in Lagos airport

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested a Nigerian, Iliyasu Yushau Yushau, with 268 Automated Teller Machine (ATM) cards at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos.

A statement issued by NDLEA spokesman, Femi Babafemi on Sunday said Yushau, the male passenger, was coming from Kampala, Uganda via Nairobi, Kenya before he was arrested.

Babafemi said he was arrested with debit cards belonging to Access Bank, GTBank and Zenith Bank.

“He was intercepted by operatives with 268 debit cards belonging to Access Bank, GTBank and Zenith Bank, during the inward clearance of passengers on the flight on Sunday 30th Jan,” he said.

Babafemi added that at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, MMIA, Ikeja Lagos, attempts by some traffickers to export different quantities of Methamphetamine to Brazil and United Kingdom were scuttled by narcotic officers at the airport.

“The first bid was made on Friday 28th Jan. through the SAHCO export shed where operatives intercepted 0.80kg of Meth concealed in relaxer plastic container heading to the UK. A suspect, Akuta Chioma Lucy who presented the consignment for search had been arrested for further investigation.

“The second attempt was on Friday 4th February during the outward clearance of passengers at Gate ‘C’ Departure hall of the airport when an intending male passenger on Ethiopian Airline going to Brazil, Onyeaghala Chidi was intercepted with 500grams of Meth concealed inside three plastic hair relaxer containers.

“In Plateau state, operatives intercepted a truck marked LSD857XB coming from Ekpoma, Edo State with 885 blocks of cannabis sativa that weighed 736kg. A N400,000 paid to bribe the arresting officers has also been warehoused as part of exhibits for prosecution, just as two suspects; Ebunoluwa Babalola, 40, and Sulyman Sheu, 30, were arrested at Ganmo, Ilorin, Kwara State with 90kg of Cannabis,” he said.

In the same vein, he disclosed that 2kg of Methamphetamine being brought to Abuja by a 29-year-old Charity Omuche from Anambra state was intercepted on Friday 4th Feb by operatives at Gwagwalada area of the FCT, while officers of the Kaduna Command of the Agency also arrested a suspect, Buhari Isah Umar with 300 shisha pens and 999 portions of synthetic cannabinoids with gross weight of 9.690kg.

Chairman/Chief Executive of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Retd) has commended officers and men of the Strike Force, Apapa seaport, MMIA, Lagos, Niger, Edo, Borno, Plateau, Kwara, FCT and Delta Commands of the Agency for the successful interdiction operations that led to the seizure of thousands of kilograms of illicit drugs from across the country in the past week. He charged them and their compatriots in other commands not to rest on their oars.

Rtn. Victor Ojelabi

Ojelabi, the publisher of Freelanews, is an award winning and professionally trained mass communicator, who writes ruthlessly about pop culture, religion, politics and entertainment.