Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, have intercepted 22 blocks of heroin weighing 23.55 kilogrammes and worth N4.5 billion, concealed in packs of baby cereal, at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, MMIA, Ikeja, Lagos.
The consignment reportedly came from Johannesburg, South Africa on board South African Airways flight on Wednesday, June 29, 2022 as part of a consolidated cargo that arrived the SAHCO import shed of the Lagos airport.
Making this known on Sunday, July 3, the the Agency’s Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, said that after series of follow-up operations that led to the arrest of two freight agents, the actual receiver of the drug consignment, Chike Okeke Eweni, who distributes the substance for his South Africa-based partner, was arrested on Thursday, June 30 at a logistics warehouse in Ajao Estate, Ikeja.
Babafemi stated that during preliminary interview, Chike, who hails from Anaocha Local Government Area, Anambra State, had claimed that he was also into fish farming.
Before his arrest, NDLEA officers at the airport had on Monday, June 27, apprehended a former driver with a public transport company, Bus Rapid Transit (BRT), Muyiwa Babalola Bolujoko, for ingesting 90 pellets of cocaine.
He was said to have been picked at the screening point before boarding a Qatar Airways flight enroute Doha to Sharjah, with his trip expected to terminate in Dubai, UAE.
The 39-year-old who hails from Ijebu South Local Government Area, Ogun State, was placed under excretion observation after body scan result confirmed drug ingestion.
The suspect was said to have excreted all the 90 pellets in four excretions while in custody.
During interrogation, Bolujoko claimed he left his N60,000 per month job as BRT driver in February and decided to work as drug courier to raise funds to buy a shuttle bus popularly called ‘Korope’ in Lagos to continue his transport business.
NDLEA peratives also intercepted an inbound consignment of khat leaves, which arrived the NAHCO import shed of the Lagos airport on Royal Air Maroc flight from the Middle East on Thursday, June 30. A total of 71 cartons of dried khat leaves with a gross weight of 2,434.3 kg were said to have been discovered in the cargo.
In a similar vein, anti-narcotic officers of the Agency also seized 36 parcels of Colorado, a variant of cannabis with a total weight of 19.30kg which arrived the NAHCO import shed from Los Angeles, US on a Delta Airlines flight.
After series of follow up operations in which four persons were arrested, the actual owner of the drug consignment, Abibu Afis Sola was eventually nabbed on Friday, July 1 in Gbagada area of Lagos, the Director of Media and Advocacy stated further.
Meanwhile, in Rivers State, NDLEA operatives on Wednesday, June 29 arrested a 68-year-old woman, Mrs. Celina Ekeke at Obunku community, Oyigbo LGA with 231.2kg cannabis, while one Shedrack Eze, was arrested the following day at Yankarfe, Zaria, Kaduna State with 250,000 tablets of Exol 5, weighing 75kg.
In Borno State, Usman Haruna, 27, was arrested at BCG checkpoint in Biu on Saturday, July 2 with 19.7kg cannabis, Babafemi added.
In his comment, the Chairman/Chief Executive of the NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Retd) expressed satisfaction with the exemplary performance of the officers and men of the MMIA command in the past week while also commending those of Rivers, Kaduna and Borno for being vigilant.
Marwa charged them and others across the country to remain steps ahead of the tricks by the desperate drug cartels.
