NDLEA Foils Drug Trafficking Attempts in Series of Arrests Across Nigeria
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) announced on Sunday that its operatives arrested a 50-year-old businessman, Osuoha Christian Iheanacho, at Akanu Ibiam International Airport (AIIA), Enugu, on Wednesday, November 20, 2024. Iheanacho was apprehended after ingesting 90 wraps of cocaine during his arrival on an Ethiopian Airlines flight from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. His arrest followed a lengthy period of intelligence-gathering and surveillance, which had placed him on the NDLEA’s watchlist for three months.
According to NDLEA spokesperson Femi Babafemi, Iheanacho was monitored and subsequently placed under excretion observation, during which he expelled a total of 90 pellets weighing 2.019 kilograms across seven excretions. Investigations revealed that he operated a phone and accessories business in Lagos and Gabon, Central Africa. To mask his travel history, Iheanacho traveled by road from Gabon to Douala, Cameroon, before flying to Addis Ababa, where he ingested the narcotics before continuing to Enugu, with Lagos as his final destination. He confessed that he resorted to the illegal drug trade to revive his declining business.
In a separate operation on Thursday, November 21, NDLEA’s Special Operations Unit detained 42-year-old Ndive Maxwell Obinna, the alleged leader of a cocaine distribution network, along with five associates at Ago Palace Way, Okota, Isolo, Lagos. The team confiscated 2.412 kilograms of cocaine during the operation. Those arrested included Okeke Gloria Ifeoma, designated as the syndicate’s stash keeper, as well as Ikechebelu Emmanuel Chibuzor, Okorie Onyedikachi, Okonkwo Nnabugo Prince, and Okafor Blessing Anita.
Additionally, NDLEA operatives dismantled another drug ring led by a 58-year-old Chinese national, Tianzhen Yen (alias Jackie), who was apprehended in a hotel in Ikeja, Lagos. This occurred after a 40-year-old suspect, Yakubu Emmanuel Mark, was intercepted in a commercial bus headed to Ghana at the Gbaji checkpoint along the Badagry-Seme expressway, leading to the recovery of 750 grams of cocaine from his possession. Investigators traced Yen to MC Hotel behind Alade Market on Allen Avenue, where a search revealed 4.3 grams of cocaine, a gram of methamphetamine, electronic scales, and his Chinese National Identification Number Card among other evidence.
At the Tin Can seaport in Lagos, on Friday, November 22, NDLEA agents discovered 92 parcels of “Loud,” a potent strain of cannabis, weighing a total of 23.25 kilograms. The cannabis was concealed in two vehicles imported from Canada—a Nissan car and a GMC bus. This was uncovered during a joint examination involving NDLEA personnel, Nigeria Customs Service, and other stakeholders.
In Rivers State, NDLEA operatives on November 21 seized two containers of imported opioids at the Port Harcourt Ports complex, Onne. Among the contraband, 168,000 bottles of codeine-based syrup with a street value of 1.176 billion Naira were recovered from one container, while the other contained 4.5 million pills of super royal tramadol 225mg, valued at 3.15 billion Naira. The total worth of the drugs seized from the containers reached 4.326 billion Naira.
In Ekiti State, a 50-year-old physically challenged woman, Mustapha Boja, was arrested on November 17 with 286 grams of “Colorado” and “Loud” strains of cannabis, while 64 kilograms of cannabis sativa were recovered at Akinyele motor park in Ibadan, Oyo State on November 21. Additionally, over 1,200 kilograms of cannabis were confiscated during police raids in Edo State, with significant recoveries made in Ovia North East and Owan Local Government Areas, leading to several arrests.
Kano State also saw arrests on November 19, where four suspects, Usman Sani, Abdul Mohd, Bunu Ali, and Umar Musa, were caught with 100 blocks of cannabis weighing 45 kilograms. In nearby Bauchi State, Ayuba Umar Zaranda, aged 55, was arrested with 124 kilograms of cannabis at Pengana village, Toro Local Government Area.
Continuing its “War Against Drug Abuse” (WADA), the NDLEA has been active in community outreach and sensitization efforts in schools, places of worship, and local communities throughout the past week. Programs included enlightenment sessions held at various institutions across Katsina, Enugu, Kano, Rivers, and Ekiti States.
Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, praised the efforts of the agency’s operatives for their remarkable achievements in drug interdiction. He acknowledged their balanced approach to both reducing drug supply and addressing demand, emphasizing the importance of these ongoing efforts nationwide.
Join our Channel...