National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, has intercepted a 40-year-old businessman, Ejike Solomon with 1.45 kilograms of cocaine concealed in his luggage while attempting to board an Ethiopia Airlines flight number 950 to Vietnam via Addis Ababa, Ethiopia from the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, NAIA, Abuja.
Ejike was arrested at the Abuja airport on March 2, 2024, after NDLEA officers subjected him to a thorough search, and in the process, the illicit substance was discovered concealed, factory fitted, in his bag.
NDLEA, Director, Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi in a statement on Sunday, said: “In his statement, the suspect claimed he was on a business trip to Vietnam.
“Meanwhile, operatives of a special unit of the agency on March 1, swooped on members of a syndicate that deals in methamphetamine, cocaine and heroin in their hideouts in parts of Lagos.
“The operatives assigned for the operation raided the home of Esimone Christopher at 14, Arochukwu street, Ejigbo, where 10.012 kilograms of methamphetamine was found in possession of his associate, 40-year-old Evelyn Okem.
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“Esimone is currently at large.
“While the Ejigbo operation was going on, another set of officers were simultaneously busy in the residence of another member of the syndicate, 45-year-old Ebele Iwuegbunam, located at Plot 1604 Close D, 4th Avenue, Festac town, Lagos where they arrested him and recovered 429.5grams of cocaine and 7 kilograms of heroin.
“In Kogi state, NDLEA officers on a stop and search operation along Okene-Lokoja-Abuja expressway on March 1, intercepted a commercial bus marked GRM 347XA (Borno) conveying 28 compressed blocks of cannabis sativa weighing 11kg; 100 bottles of codeine-based cough syrup and 500 tablets of diazepam, all concealed in three plastic drums covered with cattle fats, heading to Jos Plateau state.
“Operatives in Ogun state on February 29, recovered 169kg consignment of cannabis abandoned in a truck at Sagamu tollgate, their counterparts in Lagos seized 25 cartons of tramadol containing 325,000 pills in Ikeja the previous day, February 18.
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“Same day, a suspect, Abdullahi Khalil, 42, and 2,745,000 capsules of pregabalin recovered from him at Singer market, Sabon Gari area of Kano were handed over to the Kano state command of NDLEA by the Department of State Security, DSS.
“In the same vein, the 243 Recce Battalion, Nigerian Army, Badagry on March 2, transferred 27 sacks of cannabis sativa weighing 1,110kg recovered at a coastal community, Ajido by soldiers, to the Seme Special Area Command of NDLEA.
“A suspect, Hassan Muhammad, 34, was on March 2, arrested with 44,950 pills of tramadol at Moranti area of Borno state by NDLEA operatives.
“In Abia state, NDLEA operatives on February 18, raided a drug joint at Cemetery Barracks, Aba, where Ifeanyi Uche, 37, was arrested with different quantities of cocaine, heroin, and methamphetamine.
“Another raid was carried out at the abandoned Eyimba Hotel, Ogbor Hill, Aba, where illicit substances were seized and suspects arrested on March 1,” the statement added.
