Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have arrested Mrs. Adewunmi Adebola Dorcas, a businesswoman from Ibadan, Oyo State, and Arinze Ora, an auto parts dealer, for attempting to export consignments of opioids and cocaine to London, UK, and Congo Brazzaville, respectively.
Femi Babafemi, Director of Media and Advocacy at NDLEA Headquarters, disclosed this in a statement on Sunday.
“On Friday, 6th September 2024, NDLEA officers at the export shed of Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, intercepted a cargo bound for the UK. A search revealed 924 bottles of codeine-based syrup weighing 135.70kg and 5,250 Rohypnol tablets hidden in food cartons,” Babafemi said.
Owojori Olanrewaju Sunday, the freight agent who presented the cargo for export, was arrested. Further investigation led to the arrest of Adewunmi Akeem Temitope, who claimed his mother, Mrs. Adewunmi, sent the consignment from Ibadan for him to deliver. A follow-up operation on 7th September led to her arrest in Ibadan, where she runs a foodstuff and cargo export business.
The freight agent, Owojori, confessed that he had previously worked for Mrs. Adewunmi to export goods to the UK, receiving ₦2,411,000 for this job and ₦2.1 million for a prior consignment.
In a separate operation on 11th September, NDLEA operatives at Lagos Airport intercepted cartons of auto spare parts and containers of checkers powder custard bound for Congo Brazzaville. A search revealed 300 grams of cocaine concealed in the containers. A follow-up operation led to the arrest of Arinze Ora, an auto parts dealer from Amuwo Odofin, Lagos.
Additionally, on 10th September, NDLEA’s Special Operations Unit arrested two brothers, Ikechukwu and Ugochukwu Ikeabba, for sponsoring drug traffickers exporting drugs to Vietnam. Their arrest followed an investigation into the capture of Ibeanusi Solomon Nosike, a businessman from Onitsha, who was caught at Lagos Airport with 68 wraps of cocaine.
Meanwhile, in Gombe State, three suspects—Auwal Abdullahi, Isah Rabiu, and Abubakar Da’u—were arrested on 14th September with 2,490,000 tramadol pills hidden in salt bags while traveling on Bauchi-Gombe road.
Other notable arrests include Idris Adamu, found with 41.5 kg of cannabis in Kaduna, and suspects Godiya Sekyen Jikuk and Yusuf Umaru in Ekiti with 73.6 kg of cannabis. In Bauchi, NDLEA operatives seized 208,920 tramadol and diazepam pills from Chinedu Asadu, and in Lagos, 104 kg of cannabis was recovered from two suspects on the Lagos-Ibadan expressway.
Moreover, 350,000 bottles of codeine-based syrup were discovered in two containers from India during a joint operation at Tincan Port, Lagos.
Across the country, NDLEA continued its War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) sensitization programs, reaching out to schools, worship centers, workplaces, and communities.
NDLEA Chairman Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd) commended the officers for their efforts and urged them to intensify drug supply and demand reduction activities.