- Intercepts N2.2 billion codeine shipment
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has made a series of significant drug-related arrests and seizures, including the apprehension of a businessman at Lagos’ Murtala Muhammed International Airport who excreted 68 wraps of cocaine.
According to Director, Media and Advocacy NDLEA Headquarters, Abuja Femi Babafemi, the suspect, Ibeanusi Solomon Nosike, a 36-year-old businessman from Onitsha, Anambra State, was arrested on August 8, 2024, while attempting to board a flight to Abuja. Following a 12-day excretion observation, he expelled 1.282 kilograms of cocaine.
He added that this arrest is part of a larger crackdown by NDLEA, which also intercepted a Vietnam-bound traveler, Paul Okwuy Mbadugha, who ingested 88 wraps of cocaine weighing 1.710 kilograms at Abuja’s Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport on August 12, 2024.
In a related development, NDLEA operatives seized a 1.20kg cannabis shipment en route to Dubai, leading to the arrest of another Onitsha businessman, Aligbo Chukwudi Jacob, on August 17, 2024.
In addition, a five-member female drug trafficking syndicate was apprehended at the Seme border on August 21, 2024, while returning from Ghana. The syndicate, led by 42-year-old Olaribigbe Bashirat Feyisara, was found with 6.97kg of Loud, a potent cannabis strain.
Further, NDLEA operatives at the Tincan seaport in Lagos intercepted two containers from India, containing 319,200 bottles of codeine-based syrup valued at over N2.2 billion.
The agency also made multiple arrests across various states, including Edo, Lagos, Kogi, and Oyo, targeting individuals involved in the online sale of drug-laced cookies and cakes, as well as those trafficking large quantities of codeine, tramadol, and other illicit substances.
NDLEA Chairman, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), praised the operatives for their dedication and urged them to maintain their rigorous efforts in combating drug trafficking across the country.
