A Lekki-based businessman, Cyril Chidiebere, was arrested alongside two of his freight agents; Mejabi Sunday and Oyeyinka Babatunde, over their involvement in drug trafficking; importing 12 parcels of Loud, a strain of cannabis, weighing 6.50kg which was part of a consolidated cargo brought in from the United States of America.
The arrest and seizure followed a three-day intelligence-led operation, the NDLEA Director, Media, and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, revealed on Sunday in a statement obtained by our correspondent.
Following the arrival of the cargo at the NAHCO import shed of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, its movement out of the airport was closely monitored in a sting operation until the actual importer, Chidiebere, was arrested in his house at Abraham Adesanya estate, Ajah, Lekki.
Both Mejabi and Chidiebere have made useful statements to confirm that the latter has been involved in dealing with illicit drugs in the past.
Meanwhile, a pregnant woman, Rabetu Abdulrasak, 24, and a cripple, Shehu Adams were arrested by NDLEA operatives in Agbede, Etsako West LGA, Edo state while over 14 kilograms of assorted illicit drugs including cannabis, methamphetamine, tramadol, and swinol were recovered from them on Saturday, April 15.
Also, a 22-year-old HND 1 female student of the Federal Polytechnic, Ilaro, Ogun state, Susan Isoro was on Saturday, April 15 arrested opposite “Second Gate” of the institution for dealing in illicit drugs.
1,100ml codeine-based cough syrup and 283 grams of cannabis were recovered from her. While two young men, Nonso Peter, 21, and Bright Chibike, 23, were arrested with 43.4kg cannabis at Ile-Epo, Abule Egba area of Lagos state a day earlier.
During the week, consignments of Tramadol, Rohypnol, Ecstasy (designer drug), and Cannabis concealed in winter jackets and bottles of body cream were intercepted by NDLEA operatives at MMIA, Ikeja, Lagos.
The psychoactive substances were recovered at the new terminal of the airport on Friday, April 14 following the arrest of a passenger, Joshia Sunday who was traveling on a Qatar Airline flight via Doha to Oman, Middle East.
Babafemi said a thorough search of the suspects’ two black bags led to the discovery of 4.80 kilograms of cannabis concealed in three winter jackets and various quantities of Tramadol, Rohypnol, and Ecstasy (designer drug) hidden in bottles of body lotion.
He further noted that preliminary investigation revealed that the suspect came into Nigeria from Oman on April 7, and was returning exactly a week after.
In Katsina state, no less than 1,730 bottles of codeine-based syrup were seized from a suspect, Bishir Saadu on Sunday, April 9, while one Muhamadu Yusuf was also arrested on the same day with 8,000 capsules of tramadol inside commercial bus along Kano-Katsina road.
In the same vein, NDLEA operatives in Kaduna on Thursday, April 14 raided a clandestine laboratory where mist potassium citrate was being produced in a residential apartment at 16 Sabon Gari, Zaria.
The owner of the lab, Christopher Agodi was arrested while 102 cartons containing 2,448 bottles of the substance were recovered.
Meanwhile, a suspect, Salisu Abdullahi, 25, was arrested along Abuja-Kaduna road with 11.7kg cannabis concealed in two jerry cans, which he was moving from Port Harcourt to Kano. Operatives also nabbed one Atiku Abubakar, 22, on the same road with 50 blocks of cannabis weighing 28kg while traveling from Lagos to Shinkafi in Zamfara state in a commercial bus, on Saturday, April 15.
Similarly, anti-narcotic officers, following a tip-off, arrested two suspects; Aminu Saudi, 45, and Abdullahi Sani, 35, at Ogbese, in Ondo state, with 11 jumbo bags containing 211kg of cannabis concealed in rice chaff.
This was closely followed by the destruction of six hectares of cannabis farm in the Uso forest in the same state on Thursday, April 13.
Quadri Olaitan is a journalist and contributor to Freelanews.com, covering news, public affairs, and human-interest stories.
