No fewer than four businessmen and seven others have been arrested by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, (NDLEA) for attempting to smuggle substantial quantities of Cocaine and other substances in and out of the country.
The arrested suspects include: Pascal Okolo, Anigo Godspower, Idokoja Chukwurah, Patrick Tochukwu, Aliyu Usman, Saminu Usman, Emeka Eze, Raphael Daniel, David Musa, Eno-Obong Edet, and Hossana Esema Ukpong.
One of the suspects, 33-year-old Okolo, who is an indigene of Enugu State, was said to have been arrested during an inward clearance of Qatar Airways flight from Sao Paulo via Doha at the arrival hall of the NAIA.
Okolo was said to have claimed to be in wine businesses in Brazil but was arrested with a travelling bag containing different medicinal tea bags, which were used to conceal 4.1kilograms of cocaine.
Also, Same day, 52-year-old Godspower, a Canada based Nigerian was intercepted at the D-Arrival Hall of the MMIA, Ikeja, during an inward clearance of passengers on Qatar Airways from Sao Paolo via Doha to Lagos and when his luggage was searched, two blocks of Cocaine with a total weight of 2.10kg was recovered.
Godspower, who is from Enugu state confessed that he was running an unregistered Bureau De Change business before delving into the illicit drug trade.
Chukwurah and Tochukwu were said to have been arrested during their attempt to export 950grams of Heroin concealed in the soles of ladies’ footwears through the MMIA cargo to Monrovia, Liberia.
Through a statement released by the agency’s Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, on Sunday, the agency during raid operations in Kano, Kaduna, Benue, and Akwa Ibom states seized no fewer than 88,734 doses of Tramadol, Pentazocine, Diazepam, and Swinol.
Babafemi stated that in Kano, Usman was arrested in Railway station with 47,000 capsules of Tramadol and 2,000 ampules of pentazocine injection while Saminu Usman was nabbed with 24,710 Tramadol tablets at Gadar Tamburawa axis of Kano.
According to the statement: “In Benue, another dealer, Emeka Eze was arrested at an NDLEA checkpoint at Adikpo, Kwande Local Government area of the state with 10,000 Tramadol capsules and 900 tablets of swinol, while in Kaduna state, the duo of Raphael Daniel and David Musa were arrested at Mando park, Kaduna with 1kg of Cocaine on Thursday 21st April.”
“Another dealer, Kamilu Ibrahim was also arrested same day at Kargi village in Kubau LGA, Kaduna State with 10.6kg Cannabis Sativa, while Bashir Ibrahim was arrested on Friday 22nd April after his four consignments containing Cannabis Sativa weighing 44.6kg were intercepted three days earlier along Abuja-Kaduna express road.”
“In Akwa Ibom state, operatives arrested two female drug dealers: Eno-Obong Edet, 36, and Hossana Esema Ukpong, 28, with various quantities of Rohypnol, Diazepam, Tramadol, and Cannabis, while a suspected fake security agent was arrested on Saturday 23rd April in Abuja while moving 23.8kg cannabis from Lagos to Maiduguri, Borno state.”
On his part, the Chief Executive of NDLEA, Mohamed Marwa commended the officers and men of the NAIA, MMIA, Kano, Kaduna, Akwa Ibom, and FCT Commands of the Agency for sustaining the heat on drug cartels.
He further urged them to remain vigilant and consistent in ensuring that illicit drugs is curbed across the country.
