The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested a 34-year-old South African woman with 36.65 kilogrammes of cocaine and a 62-year-old Nigerian-American grandmother with 9.45kg of cannabis at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos.
The agency also arrested a Lagos-based car dealer allegedly linked to the cocaine shipment and seized large quantities of illicit drugs and pharmaceutical opioids in operations across several states.
NDLEA Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, disclosed the arrests in a statement on Sunday, detailing a series of anti-drug operations across the country.
Babafemi said operatives arrested Qhina Beauty on October 7 at the airport’s departure hall as she prepared to board a Qatar Airways flight to South Africa via Doha.
A search of her two travelling bags uncovered 30 blocks of cocaine weighing 36.65kg, concealed with dried pepper, wrapped in cellophane tape and packed into seven parcels.
“During her interview, she told operatives she arrived in Nigeria on 30th September specifically to pick up the consignment,” Babafemi said.
According to the statement, Beauty told investigators that another South African woman recruited her and promised to pay her R20,000 after the successful delivery of the drugs.
She reportedly identified two other members of the alleged syndicate, one based in the United States and the other a Lagos-based car dealer.
Babafemi said further investigations led to the arrest of 46-year-old car dealer Uchenna Victor Umunnakwe at Apple Junction, Ago Palace Way, Lagos, after days of surveillance at his residence in Shasha.
The suspect allegedly admitted receiving Beauty at the airport, lodging her at Santiago Hotel in Amuwo-Odofin and later moving her to Cynarisso Hotel near the airport ahead of her departure.
In a separate operation, NDLEA operatives arrested 62-year-old Anetor Gloria Ubong this month after she arrived in Lagos on a United Airlines flight from Houston, United States.
Babafemi said a search of her two checked-in boxes uncovered 18 parcels of cannabis, locally known as loud, weighing 9.45kg and concealed with gift-wrapping paper.
Ubong, a realtor based in Richmond, Texas, who holds Nigerian and US passports, reportedly told investigators that her daughter and the daughter’s future brother-in-law delivered the box to her home in the US.
She allegedly said she was expected to deliver the consignment in Nigeria to her daughter’s fiancé, identified as Jibola.
Beyond the airport arrests, the agency reported seizures of cannabis, tramadol, codeine syrup, diazepam and other controlled substances in operations across Lagos, Delta, Kano, Taraba, Niger, Bauchi, Ondo, Edo and Oyo states.
In Delta State, operatives arrested 51-year-old Peter Ugochukwu in Warri and recovered thousands of tramadol capsules and tablets, 4,116 bottles of codeine syrup, 11,340 Rohypnol tablets, 3,500 diazepam tablets and injectable opioids, among other substances.
The agency also arrested 46-year-old Helen Samson, a physically challenged woman, at Enhere Junction in Warri with 6kg of cannabis.
In Kano State, a raid in the Gerawa area led to the arrest of 30-year-old Murtala Lawan and the seizure of 159 blocks of cannabis weighing 97.2kg.
In Taraba State, officers arrested 39-year-old Raiyanu Misa at the Lankaviri checkpoint in Yorro Local Government Area with 60.175kg of compressed cannabis. Police also handed over another suspect arrested in Dakka Village, Bali Local Government Area, with 81.49kg of cannabis.
In Niger State, 26-year-old Emmanuel Ekene was arrested along the Sabo-Kainji Road in Borgu Local Government Area with 64,000 opioid pills, including tramadol and diazepam.
The agency also arrested 45-year-old Jamilu Mustapha, popularly known as Last Card, in Nasaru town, Ningi Local Government Area of Bauchi State, where officers seized 379kg of cannabis packed in seven sacks.
In Ondo State, operatives recovered 583kg of abandoned cannabis in 56 bags during a raid on a farm in Board-Ala, Akure South Local Government Area.
In Edo State, the agency destroyed two cannabis farms in Ugbada Forest, Uzebba, Owan West Local Government Area. Babafemi said the farms had an estimated yield of 2,023.14kg, while officers burnt 450kg of processed cannabis at the site and took another 97kg as exhibits.
A 42-year-old woman, Mary Edokhai, was also arrested in Ewe community, Owan West, with 35kg of cannabis.
In Oyo State, operatives arrested Fajana Dada Oluwaseyi, 41, in Ibadan’s Adamasingba area. The agency said he had escaped arrest during an operation in which officers seized 197.8kg of cannabis from his residence the previous month.
In Lagos, a special operations team arrested 41-year-old Eletu Rasheedat in the Eti-Osa area and recovered 5,820 diazepam pills, 780 tramadol tablets, 3.7kg of cannabis and 230.25 litres of a drink known as skuchies.
The NDLEA Chairman, Brig Gen Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd.), commended officers involved in the operations for their vigilance, professionalism and intelligence-led work.
He urged officers across the country to sustain efforts to combat drug trafficking and substance abuse, according to the statement.
