The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) apprehended Udechukwu Ekene Theophilus, a returnee from Brazil, at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) in Ikeja, Lagos. The arrest was made during the inward clearance of passengers arriving on an Ethiopian Airlines flight from Sao Paulo, Brazil, via Addis Ababa.
The suspect, Udechukwu Ekene Theophilus, caught the attention of NDLEA operatives by initially refusing to undergo a body scan, citing health concerns in an attempt to avoid arrest. However, he agreed to undergo excretion observation when presented with alternative options.
Shortly after commencing the observation, Udechukwu Ekene Theophilus excreted a total of 60 large wraps of cocaine, weighing approximately 1.279 kilograms, in five separate excretions. In his statement, the suspect confessed to ingesting the consignment in Brazil, intending to discharge it during a layover in Addis Ababa. Regrettably, he could only excrete 15 pellets before his connecting flight to Nigeria.
NDLEA spokesperson Femi Babafemi provided details on the operation, highlighting the suspect’s attempt to elude detection and the subsequent successful interception of the illicit substance.
In a related development, former beauty queen Aderinoye Queen Christmas, also known as Ms. Queen Oluwadamilola Aderinoye, has been declared wanted by the NDLEA. The agency initiated a raid on her residence in Lekki, Lagos, acting on credible intelligence suggesting her involvement in illicit substance activities.
During the search, NDLEA operatives uncovered 606 grams of Canadian Loud, a synthetic strain of cannabis, along with an electronic weighing scale, significant quantities of drug packaging materials, a black RAV 4 SUV with registration number Lagos KSF 872 GQ, and a picture frame featuring the suspect. Aderinoye Queen Christmas, the former Miss Commonwealth Nigeria Culture 2015/2016 and founder of Queen Christmas Foundation, managed to escape during the raid.
The NDLEA’s intensified efforts underscore their commitment to combating drug-related activities and ensuring the safety and well-being of the Nigerian populace.
Quadri Olaitan is a journalist and contributor to Freelanews.com, covering news, public affairs, and human-interest stories.
