Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have seized 20 parcels of cannabis sativa weighing 10.70 kilograms (kg) at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) from a lady identified as Chidinma Chinenye Agbazue.
Upon interception, NDLEA arrested Chidinma nullifying her plans to export the prohibited items to Qatar.
This was made known in a statement issued by the Agency’s Director, Media and Advocacy, Mr. Femi Babafemi on Sunday.
“Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, have detained a 35-year-old lady, Chidinma Chinenye Agbazue after she was caught attempting to export 20 parcels of cannabis sativa weighing 10.70 kilograms concealed in African salad popularly called Abacha and dried vegetables to Doha, Qatar through the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, MMIA Ikeja Lagos State.
“NDLEA officers at the Lagos airport working in partnership with men of the Department of State Security had on Thursday 28th March intercepted Chidinma, an outbound passenger from Lagos to Doha, on Qatar Airways during clearance of passengers at the screening point of terminal 11 of the MMIA,” the statement reads in part.
According to NDLEA, preliminary investigation revealed that Chidinma was based in Qatar but returned to Nigeria last December for Christmas celebration.
Chidinma disclosed that in preparation for her return to Doha, she lodged at Club Dice Hotel in Ikotun area of Lagos where the consignment were handed over to her for trafficking to the Arab country.
In a related development, two suspects named Monday Okeke and Chigozie Emeka were on Tuesday, March 26 nabbed by NDLEA operatives in Oniwaya, Yaba and Agege area of Lagos – and 842,560 pills of opioids especially tramadol in addition to 15 litres of codeine syrup and 596 grams of Molly were recovered from the individuals.
NDLEA stated that attempt by Okeke to bribe the its officers with five million naira (₦5 million) cash was rebuffed, while the money was documented as part of exhibits to prosecute the suspects in court.
Elsewhere, the bid by three suspects; Ebuka Eze, 31; Ugochukwu Okoro, 44; and Kingsley Uzim, 27 in Bayelsa State to smuggle opioids including codeine, molly, tramadol and diazepam weighing a total of 73.425 kilograms to the creeks in Southern Ijaw area of the state was thwarted on Wednesday, March 27 by NDLEA operatives at Swali jetty, Yenagoa where Ebuka and Ugochukwu were arrested, while Uzim was nabbed at Amasoma in a follow up operation.
The Agency said that the drugs were concealed in jumbo sacks and conveyed to the jetty in a tricycle.
Two suspects identified as Eniola Muyideen and Bankole Shuaib were also arrested with 137 blocks of cannabis weighing 71kg during a raid at Orile Imo, Ogun State on Friday, March 29.
In the same vein, NDLEA operatives in Taraba State recovered 39,980 pills of tramadol from a suspect, Abubakar Mohammed, 33, in Lankaviri village, and another suspect, Apaji Vincent, 29, arrested in Wukari on Thursday, March 28 with 131kg cannabis sativa.
“In Abia state, Nwachukwuu Chinedu, 28, was arrested on Friday 29th March at Akara Ahuba, Isikwuato LGA by NDLEA officers. Recovered from him include 46.65kg cannabis and different quantities of tramadol, methamphetamine and rohypnol as well as N71,500 monetary exhibit.
“At least, 127.5kg cannabis loaded in a Volkswagen Vento saloon car marked NTT 215 AA was recovered along Isua/Kabba road, Idoani area of Ose LGA, Ondo State, while a 30-year-old female suspect, Chinasa Christopher was arrested with 400 bottles of codeine syrup in Sabon Gari area of Kano.
“The owner of a consignment of illicit drugs intercepted along Zaria-Kano road, Bakura Goni was arrested at Mile 2 market in Lagos on Tuesday 26th March in a follow up operation and flown to Kano to face charges. The consignment consisting of cannabis and tramadol weighing 73.8kg was earlier seized in a truck conveying it from Lagos to Kano,” the Agency further stated.
It added: “While 278kg of cannabis going to Idoani in Ondo State was recovered during a raid at Oloma-Okpe forest, Akoko-Edo LGA, Edo State, not less than 3,065.255kg of the same psychoactive substance was razed on two farms at Amahor waterside forest in Igueben area of the state where three suspects: James Thankgod; Wisdom James and Akpa Festus were arrested on Thursday 28th March.”
Similarly, Commands across the country intensified their War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) advocacy lectures in the past week which include; Sensitisation lectures for students of Federal University of Technology, Ihiagwa, Owerri, Imo; students and teachers of Community Secondary School, Eyo-Abasi, Oron, Akwa Ibom.
Others are students and teachers of Oke Iragbiji Grammar School, Osun; commercial motorcycle riders in Oye Ekiti, Ekiti State; commercial motorcycle riders at Ankpa, Kogi State and Muslim faithful at Aliade Central Mosque, Aliade, Benue State.
Meanwhile, the Chairman/Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa commended the officers and men of the MMIA, Lagos, Edo, Ogun, Kano, Abia, Bayelsa, Ondo, and Taraba Commands of the Agency for their balanced efforts in the past week.
Gen. Marwa also lauded their counterparts across the country for intensifying their WADA advocacy lectures.
