AFRICA

After 12 Days in Observation Room, Vietnam-Bound Businessman Excretes 68 Wraps of Cocaine at Lagos Airport

An Onitsha, Anambra state based-businessman, Ibeanusi Nosike, has excreted 68 wraps of cocaine after 12 days of excretion observation following his arrest at the local wing of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA.

According ti a statement by the spokesman of the anti-narcotics agency, Femi Babafemi, the 36-year-old Ibeanusi was arrested in the early hours of Thursday 8th August 2024 at the old domestic terminal of the Lagos airport while attempting to board the first flight out of Lagos to Abuja where he was scheduled to join a Qatar Airways flight to Vietnam at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport at about 10a.m same day.

He said the suspect who came under NDLEA surveillance following intelligence had arrived Lagos from his base in Onitsha, Anambra state the previous day, 7th August and lodged in a hotel where he swallowed the 68 wraps of cocaine before heading to the airport for a 6:30am flight the following morning.

He was however intercepted by NDLEA operatives who moved him into excretion observation where he spent 12 days excreting the cocaine pellets weighing 1.282 kilogrammes.

Ibeanusi Nosike became the second persons to be arrested heading to Vietnam with drugs in matters of days after another Vietnam-bound businessman, 54-year-old Paul Mbadugha was arrested by NDLEA operatives at the Abuja airport on Monday 12th August 2024 during the outward clearance of Qatar Airways flight QR 1432 to Hanoi, Vietnam via Doha after he tested positive to ingestion of cocaine.

Mbadugha had after four days under observation, egested a total of 88 wraps of the illicit drug with a gross weight of 1.710 kilogrammes.

Babafemi said another Onitsha based businessman, Aligbo Chukwudi has been arrested by NDLEA operatives following the seizure of a consignment of 1.2 kilogrammes cannabis concealed in a package going to Dubai, UAE.

He said operatives at the MMIA Strategic Command of the NDLEA had intercepted the shipment at the export shed of the Lagos airport while investigations revealed the cargo was sent through a courier company in Onitsha; after series of follow up operations, Aligbo was eventually arrested in Onitsha on Saturday 17th August.

The spokesman also disclosed that operatives of a Special Operations Unit in NDLEA have arrested five cross-border female drug traffickers at the Seme border while on their way back to Lagos from Ghana. He said leader of the syndicate, 42-year-old Olaribigbe Feyisara has been under NDLEA radar before being tracked and arrested last Wednesday along with other members of her gang: Abogun Ladidi; Osibeluwo Tolulope; Akanni Oluwatoyin and Ajetumobi Amudalat.

Babafemi said at the point of their arrest at the Seme border, a total of 14 packs of Loud, a strong strain of cannabis, weighing a total of 6.97 kilogrammes, were recovered from hidden parts of their bodies.

He said similarly NDLEA operatives at the Tincan seaport in Lagos last Friday intercepted two containers which came from Mundra port in India, stating that no fewer than 1,596 cartons of codeine-based syrup containing 319,200 bottles of the opioid worth over N2.2 billion in street value were recovered from the containers during a joint examination with other port stakeholders.

He said two women were arrested by operatives in Edo state for online sales of illicit drugs, adding that while Martha Owotorofa, 26, was nabbed at Kada Plaza, Benin city with quantities of Canadian Loud, Odion Uzordinma, 21, was arrested at Ugbowo area of the city with 30 cups of cookies and 17 slices of cake, all laced with illicit substances.

He said a raid operation at Oghada village, Uhunmwonde local government area of the state last Tuesday led to the arrest of Saturday Edobor, 50, with 288.8 kilogrammes cannabis.

In Lagos, a suspect, Godwill Davidson was last Wednesday arrested with 3,834 bottles of codeine syrup; 5,200 pills of Co-Codamol; and 11, 880 tablets of Rohypnol in Mushin area of the state, while another suspect, Yahaya Ibrahim, 23, was nabbed by operatives along Okene-Lokoja-Abuja expressway, Kogi state same day with 42,000 pills of tramadol coming from Asaba, Delta State enroute Potiskum, Yobe state.

Babafemi said two suspects: Feranmi Bankole, 25, and Fredrick Tobiloba, 25, were last Tuesday arrested at Pariz Lounge, Adeoyo area in Ibadan metropolis, Oyo State following intelligence, and recovered R
from them were 267.5 litres of skuchies, a mixture of black currant and assorted illicit drugs and 18 grammes of Canadian Loud.

He disclosed that the commands and formations of the agency across the country continued their War Against Drug Abuse, WADA, sensitization activities to schools, worship centres, work places and communities among others in the past week.

Meanwhile, while commending the officers and men of the Special Operations Units, MMIA, Tincan, Lagos, and Edo Commands for the arrests, seizures and their dexterity, the Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa (Rtd) enjoined them and their colleagues across the country to continue with the ongoing balanced approach to the drug control efforts of the agency.

Michael Olugbode