…Nabs Saudi-bound lady with 52 pellets
By Farai Kasali
A 67-year-old man named Chukwuemeka Clement has been apprehended by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja.
The arrest took place on Tuesday when Chukwuemeka was going through the inward clearance process of Ethiopian Airlines flight 951 from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. During a body scan, it was discovered that he had swallowed 100 wraps of cocaine in the form of pellets.
According to a statement issued on Sunday by Femi Babafemi, the NDLEA’s Director of Media and Advocacy, the suspect excreted a total of 100 wraps of cocaine weighing 2.195 kilograms in four excretions while under observation.
In a similar development, NDLEA operatives said they intercepted a 45-year-old woman, Bilkisu Mohammed Bello, at the Malam Aminu Kano International Airport (MAKIA), Kano, while preparing to board a Saudia Airlines flight to Saudi Arabia.
Babafemi stated that Bello confessed during and interview that pellets of cocaine given to her to swallow before her flight were kept in a house in Farawa area of Kano.
However, on leading to NDLEA officers to the house, 52 wraps of the illicit substance with a total weight of 767grams were recovered.
Babafemi in the statement also disclosed that NDLEA operatives supported by officers and men of the Nigerian Army, Civil Defence Corps and Amotekun personnel on Tuesday stormed James town, in Ogunmakin, Obafemi Owode local government area of Ogun state where they located and destroyed 10.38 tonnes of cannabis sativa covering over 4.152 hectares.
He explained that the team also intercepted a truck marked FS548XN carrying a 40ft container loaded with logs of wood while on their way back from the operation.
The Spokesman further revealed that a search of the container led to the recovery of two bags of cannabis sativa weighing 20kgs while six suspects: Ahmed Yusuf, Olaniyi Babatunde, Adedeji Babatunde, Richard John, Osolale Olamilekan and Abdulazeez Saied, in the truck were arrested.
“In the same vein, operatives on Sunday 1st October raided Obi camp in Owan West LGA, Edo state where 30 sacks of skunk weighing 300kgs and concealed in charcoal were evacuated from an old dilapidated mud house. Similarly, two cannabis farms measuring 1.179065 hectares at Igbanke forest in Orhiowon local government area of the state were identified and destroyed on Friday 6th October while four suspects: Tersoo Zaria, 28; Ifeanyi Osai, 53; Moses David, 19, and Daniel Gabriel, 20, were arrested.
“In Gombe state, a suspect, Auwal Bindow was arrested on Friday 6th October along Bauchi – Gombe road with 50,000 capsules of tramadol, while in Oyo state, NDLEA operatives on patrol along the Lagos-Ibadan expressway nabbed Anuoluwapo Blessing Iyanu, 32, with 52 blocks of compressed pawpaw shaped cannabis sativa weighing 30kgs on Wednesday 4th October,” the statement added.
Meanwhile, the Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Retd) commended the officers and men of the NAIA, MAKIA, Ogun, Oyo, Edo, and Gombe Commands of the Agency for their outstanding feats in the past week.