By Ijeoma Wilfred
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The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, has arrested a Vietnam-bound businessman, Ibeanusi Nosike, for drug trafficking.
Nosike, according to the agency,excreted 68 wraps of cocaine after he was arrested by its operatives at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos.
The arrest comes barely 2 weeks after the NDLEA arrested a Vietnam-bound businessman, Paul Mbadugha, at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport after he tested positive for ingesting cocaine.
Mbadugha excreted a total of 88 wraps of cocaine, weighing 1.710 kilograms.
The NDLEA in a statement on Sunday issued by Spokesman, Femi Babafemi, said Nosike was arrested while attempting to board the first flight out of Lagos to Abuja.
The statement said, “An Onitsha, Anambra state based-businessman, Ibeanusi Solomon Nosike, has excreted 68 wraps of cocaine after 12 days of excretion observation following his arrest at the local wing of the MMIA Ikeja Lagos by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA.
“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, NAIA, Abuja at about 10 am the same day.”
He said, “The suspect who came under NDLEA surveillance following intelligence had arrived in Lagos from his base in Onitsha, Anambra state, the previous day, August 7 and lodged in a hotel where he swallowed the 68 wraps of cocaine before heading to the airport for a 6:30 am flight the following morning.
“He was thereafter intercepted by NDLEA operatives who moved him into excretion observation where he spent the next 12 days excreting the cocaine pellets weighing 1.282 kilograms.”
Babafemi also said that operatives of the NDLEA also arrested another Onitsha-based businessman, Aligbo Jacob, following the seizure of a consignment of 1.20kg cannabis concealed in a package going to Dubai, UAE.
“Operatives at the MMIA Strategic Command of the Agency 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 a series of follow-up operations, Aligbo was eventually arrested in Onitsha on Saturday, 17th August,”
The NDLEA also disclosed the arrest of an all-female drug trafficking gang who traffics drugs outside the country.
The agency said the leader of the syndicate, 42-year-old Olaribigbe Feyisara, had been under NDLEA radar before being tracked and arrested.
It added that four other members of the gang were arrested.
“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. Leader of the syndicate, 42-year-old Olaribigbe Bashirat Feyisara, has been under NDLEA radar before being tracked and arrested on August 21 along with other members of her gang: Abogun Fatimah Ladidi; Osibeluwo Tolulope Oluwaseun; Akanni Balikis Oluwatoyin and Ajetumobi Amudalat.
“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 6.97kg, were recovered from hidden parts of their bodies.”
In the same vein, operatives of the NDLEA intercepted N2.2billion worth of codeine at the Lagos port.
Babafemi said, “Similarly, NDLEA operatives at the Tincan seaport in Lagos on Friday 23rd August intercepted two containers which came from Mundra port in India.
“No fewer than 1,596 cartons of codeine-based syrup containing 319,200 bottles of the opioid worth N2,234,400,000.00 in street value were recovered from the containers during a joint examination with other port stakeholders.”
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He also said, “Two ladies were arrested by operatives in Edo state for online sales of illicit drugs. While Martha Owotorofa, 26, was nabbed at Kada Plaza, Benin City, with quantities of Canadian Loud, Odion Uzordinma, 21, was arrested at the Ugbowo area of the city with 30 cups of cookies and 17 slices of cake, all laced with illicit substances.
“A raid operation at Oghada village, Uhunmwonde local government area of the state on Tuesday 20th August led to the arrest of Saturday Edobor, 50, with 288.8kg cannabis.”
Babafemi said In Lagos, a suspect, Godwill Davidson, was arrested on August 21 with 3,834 bottles of codeine syrup, 5,200 pills of Co-Codamol, and 11 880 tablets of Rohypnol in the Mushin area of the state.
“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 en route Potiskum, Yobe state.
“Two suspects, Feranmi Bankole, 25, and Fredrick Tobiloba, 25, were on Tuesday 20th August arrested at Pariz Lounge, Adeoyo area in Ibadan metropolis, Oyo State, following intelligence. Recovered from them were 267.5 litres of skuchies, a mixture of black currant and assorted illicit drugs and 18 grams of Canadian Loud,”
