CrimeNews

NDLEA arrest Nigerians with N30bn cocaine at Lagos airport

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has said it made seizures of drugs worth N30billion within a week.
Cocaine and heroin packages with street value of N30billion were discovered at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) Ikeja, Lagos, last week.
One of the seizures, 26.840 kilograms of cocaine, is the biggest from an individual in the past 15 years.
A top NDLEA official gave the details to newsmen at the weekend.
The brief disclosed that on January 27 at about 1:20pm during the inward clearance of Ethiopian Airlines passengers, a female passenger, Onyejegbu Ifesinachi Jennifer, 33, from Sao Paulo, Brazil via Addis Ababa, was intercepted.
She was taken to the NDLEA office at the airport where her bags were searched. Whitish powdery substances were found concealed inside 16 pieces of duvet contained in two travel bags. Test conducted proved positive to cocaine and weighed 26.850kilograms.
Two days earlier, a red left-over luggage was declared to the NDLEA operatives at the E- arrival hall after the inward clearance of passengers on Ethiopian Airlines.
The agency said based on information on the tag, the luggage arrived Nigeria from Sao Paulo, Brazil, a destination classified as high-risk country going by records and trends of arrest and seizures.
The bag was transferred to the NDLEA ‘Legal Seat’, the administrative office at the passenger terminal of the MMIA.
The Commander at the MMIA, Ahmadu Garba, afterwards received an intelligence report of a purported plan to clear a consignment containing hard drugs.
Aliyu revealed that another person was on his way to receive the bag based on the instruction of his sender, one Ikechukwu Eze. Soon after one Emmanuel Iyke Aniebonam, who was to receive the bag, was arrested at NAHCO.
Emmanuel confessed that he was instructed by Ikechukwu to receive the consignment. Emmanuel was set up to lure in Eze. He didn’t show up but sent another person.
The individual confirmed Emmanuel mandated him to receive the consignment and that they agreed to meet at Ibis Royal Hotel in Ikeja.
NDLEA said a follow-up operation was organised and at the hotel, one Onwurah Kelvin was arrested. The suspect confessed he was sent by Eze to receive the consignment.
Also on January 24, at about 12pm, one Edosa Christopher was arrested at the passengers screening point of the MMIA. A body scan of the suspect proved positive for hard drugs ingestion.
Christopher was transferred to NDLEA/JBTF office and placed on excretion observation. He excreted a total of 68 wraps of substance, which proved positive to heroin and weighed 950 grams.
Christopher confessed he bought the illicit substance at the cost of N800,000 from someone he called ‘Paddy’. The suspect claimed he met Paddy at Eagle Rock Hotel around Ago Palace way in Lagos, where he lodged for a brief stay.
But NDLEA’s investigation showed that the hotel does not exist anywhere in Lagos.
NDLEA Chairman, Buba Marwa, has commended Commander Garba and his team for their efforts. He urged all commands nationwide to remain vigilant.

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