The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, (NDLEA) has arrested two pregnant women, Seun Babatunde, and Gloria Asibor for attempting to peddle illicit drugs out of the country through the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Ikeja, Lagos State.
14 others arrested asides the pregnant women include: a Brazilian returnee, Nworie Chikwendu, Kehinde Ilori; Osho Nurudeen; Kamarudeen Isiaka; Kazeem Ishola; Afeez Adebolade; Oguntana Aduragbemi; Chuks Alowai; Bola Kazeem, Kehinde Ogunleye, Obinna Anene, Modu Yahaya, Manga Emmanuel and Yusuf Usman.
Chikwendu was said to have been arrested during an inward clearance of passengers on Qatar Airways flight from Sao Paulo, Brazil enroute Doha to Lagos by NDLEA officials.
During a thorough search of his luggage, two parcels of cocaine were said to have been discovered and concealed in a pair of brown slippers hidden in his backpack.
Meanwhile, a further search by the anti-narcotic agency led to the discovery of two parcels of cocaine hidden in the soles of suspects’ slippers which made the recovered drugs four parcels weighing 800grams.
The Brazilian returnee, who claimed to be a barber, was reported to have confessed he came to Nigeria for the burial of his father and that he decided to get into the criminal act in other to raise more money after he was promised N2 million by owners that of the items.
This was confirmed by the NDLEA Director, Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, through a statement released on Sunday, explaining efforts made by the anti-narcotic officials to intercept all items and apprehend the peddlers.
Babafemi noted that the next day, NDLEA operatives at the SAHCO export shed of the airport intercepted some cartons of alcoholic drinks suspected to contain illicit drugs and arrested Ogunrinde.
The anti-narcotic agency’s spokesperson stated that it was a follow up operation that led to the arrest of a pregnant woman, Babatunde, who operates an alcohol joint in Pleasure axis of Iyana Ipaja.
He said that when the cartons were opened, seven parcels of cannabis and a sachet of ecstasy drug (MDMA) were found concealed inside Cans of black bullet alcoholic drinks and Babatunde claimed the drugs were being sent to her husband who lives in Dubai.
The spokesman said that the second pregnant woman, Asibor was arrested on Thursday while attempting to board a Turkish Airline flight to Bolonia, and that a search of her luggage containing food items led to the discovery of 300 tablets of 200mg and 225mg high dosage Tramadol concealed in crayfish.
According to the statement: “Meanwhile, large consignments of psychoactive substances have been intercepted in parts of Northwest, Northeast and North central. In Kaduna, a drug dealer, Obinna Anene a.k.a Young Alhaji was arrested on Friday 6th May at Buwaya Kaduna with 50,000 tablets of Diazepam weighing 9kg; 595 tablets of Tramadol weighing 318grams and 8 tablets of Co-codamol weighing 6grams.
“Same day, a trafficker, Modu Yahaya was caught with 26.5kg cannabis in Damaturu, Yobe state while travelling in a commercial vehicle from Abuja to Maiduguri, Borno state.
“At least, nine drug dealers were arrested by operatives in Lagos on Thursday 5th May during raids in black spots in Mushin Olosha and Akala as well as Langbasa and Ikota in Ajah area of the state with different quantities of Cocaine, Heroin, Methamphetamine, Cannabis, and Skuchies.
“In Plateau, NDLEA operatives on Saturday 7th May intercepted a truck carrying 673.3kg cannabis along Bassa/Rukuba Barracks road in Jos while the driver and his assistant fled into the bush. In other parts of the state capital, two dealers; Manga Emmanuel and Yusuf Usman were arrested with 34 pinches of cocaine and 400grams of cannabis at old airport and Rikkos respectively.”
On his part, the Chief Executive of NDLEA, Buba Marwa, was said to have commended the officers and men of Lagos, Kaduna, Yobe, Lagos and Plateau Commands for the arrests and seizures and urged them and other commands across the country to not rest on their oars in the fight against drug abuse across the country.
