NDLEA arrests Ugandan woman with 87 cocaine wraps at Lagos airport

By Kingsley Omonobi

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested a 34-year-old Ugandan woman with 87 wraps of cocaine weighing 1.15 kilogrammes, allegedly concealed around her pelvic region, at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos.

The suspect, identified as Farida Nansubuga, was arrested on Tuesday, November 3, while preparing to board a flight to Uganda after allegedly travelling to Nigeria for a religious programme at the Synagogue Church of All Nations (SCOAN), Ikotun, Lagos.

According to the NDLEA, Nansubuga arrived in Nigeria on October 29 with members of her church for a prayer session but allegedly stayed behind after the other members of her delegation returned to Uganda.

The agency said she was intercepted at the screening point of Terminal 2 during a joint passenger screening exercise with aviation security personnel.

A body search reportedly revealed a substance concealed around her pelvic region, prompting officers to take her to a designated private search room for further examination.

The search led to the recovery of 87 wraps of cocaine weighing 1.15 kilogrammes, allegedly strapped around her pelvic region and secured beneath two layers of underwear.

During preliminary interrogation, the suspect reportedly claimed she stayed behind to collect the consignment on behalf of a friend in Uganda identified as Joy, who had linked her with a contact in Nigeria.

She allegedly said a man brought her to a hotel on the morning of her departure, handed her the drugs and instructed her to conceal them beneath her clothing to evade airport security.

The NDLEA said the suspect expected to receive at least $1,000 upon successful delivery of the consignment.

In another operation at the Lagos airport, operatives intercepted 750,000 tablets of Tapentadol 250mg, weighing 526 kilogrammes and valued at about N900 million.

The opioid consignment, which arrived from Ahmedabad, India, aboard an Ethiopian Airlines flight on November 3, was allegedly declared as Paracetamol 500mg tablets.

The agency said the shipment comprised 11 cartons packed in two wooden structures. Following suspicions over the cargo declaration, officers placed it under surveillance before conducting a joint examination with the Nigeria Customs Service and other agencies on November 6.

The examination revealed that 10 cartons contained Tapentadol tablets, while only the last carton contained paracetamol tablets.

Also at the airport, operatives intercepted 32 parcels of Loud, a strain of cannabis weighing 16.15 kilogrammes, concealed inside two wooden sofas in a consolidated cargo from Houston, Texas, United States.

A freight agent, Ibrahim Abdulwaheed Adewale, who reportedly presented himself to clear the consignment, was arrested.

In a follow-up operation on November 6, NDLEA operatives arrested a 34-year-old caterer from Ibadan, Oyo State, Adeoye Sarafa Ojo, who allegedly came to collect the package.

Ojo reportedly claimed he was sent by a friend, Taiwo Anuoluwapo Olusegun.

The agency also announced the dismantling of a suspected syndicate involved in importing chemicals used in producing Colorado, a synthetic cannabis, from the United Kingdom.

NDLEA said nine parcels of illicit substances concealed in two cartons of snacks bearing the label “Michael Tea Guy” were intercepted in a consolidated cargo arriving aboard an Air Peace flight from the UK on October 23.

Two of the parcels contained 1.2 kilogrammes of cannabis, while forensic analysis identified the contents of the remaining seven as chemicals used in producing synthetic cannabis.

A 51-year-old freight agent, Afolabi Abiodun Wale, who allegedly came to clear the consignment, was arrested.

The agency said two additional cartons for the same recipient subsequently arrived aboard an Allied Air flight from the UK.

A sting operation conducted between October 26 and 28 led to the arrest of another suspect, Okwuite Benjamin Ojone, 51, when he allegedly took delivery of the cartons.

A search reportedly uncovered three parcels weighing 3.3 kilogrammes concealed in two packs of detergent and 11 plastic bottles containing mostly liquid substances weighing 16.25 kilogrammes.

The total seizure from the operation comprised 1.2 kilogrammes of cannabis and 28.65 kilogrammes of chemicals allegedly intended for synthetic cannabis production.

At courier companies in Lagos, NDLEA operatives intercepted 46 blocks of cannabis weighing 22.2 kilogrammes in two cartons destined for the United Kingdom on November 3.

The agency also intercepted 296 tablets of Swinol destined for Australia on October 30, alongside three consignments of tramadol bound for the UK.

The tramadol consignments comprised 20 capsules from Benin City and 96 capsules from Sapele, Delta State, concealed in vitamin C containers, as well as 600 tablets of Tramadol 225mg from Asaba hidden in female headwear.

In a separate operation in Lagos, operatives arrested a 32-year-old man, Abubakar Ali, at Marine Beach, Apapa, on November 6.

The agency said officers recovered several drugs from a small store allegedly constructed inside the sitting room of his apartment.

Items seized included 1.06 kilogrammes of Tramadol 250mg, 1.27 kilogrammes of Tramadol 225mg, 400 grammes of pregabalin capsules, 355 grammes of diazepam, 200 millilitres of codeine and 6.07 kilogrammes of cannabis.

In Ondo State, operatives raided Odofin Road, Uso, on November 6, recovering 148 bags of cannabis weighing 1,818 kilogrammes.

On the same day, officers raided a cannabis farm in Board Forest, destroyed a one-hectare plantation, recovered 242 kilogrammes of the substance and arrested a 36-year-old suspect, Itoro Linus Akpan.

In neighbouring Ekiti State, a 53-year-old man, Agbo Paul Peter, was arrested at Osin Forest, Osin Ekiti, on November 5 with 216 kilogrammes of cannabis and cannabis seeds.

In Edo State, operatives intercepted a Volkswagen Golf saloon car conveying 19 bags of cannabis weighing 201 kilogrammes along the Auchi-Ibillo road in Akoko Edo Local Government Area.

The driver, Abdulmumid Isah, 39, and a passenger, Danako Godwin, 25, were arrested.

The agency also raided a suspected drug joint on Ihama Road, GRA, Benin City, where three suspects — Emmanuel Sunday, 25; Samuel Bala, 31; and Loveth Momodu, 20 — were arrested with quantities of Colorado, Loud and cannabis.

In Taraba State, three suspects were arrested with 283 blocks of compressed cannabis weighing 226.255 kilogrammes during stop-and-search operations at the NDLEA checkpoint in Lankaviri, Yorro Local Government Area, over two days.

The suspects were identified as Ibrahim Abdullahi, 45, who was arrested on November 5 with 156 blocks weighing 149.275 kilogrammes; Kabiru Usman, 25, arrested the same day with 80 blocks weighing 40.07 kilogrammes; and Babangida Babayo, 32, arrested on November 6 with 47 blocks weighing 36.91 kilogrammes.

In Enugu State, a 57-year-old man, Celestine Uzochukwu Ejiakor, was arrested at a checkpoint in Eke Obinagu on November 3 with 44 blocks of cannabis weighing 22.5 kilogrammes.

At another interception along the Ugwuoba checkpoint, operatives arrested Godwin Shaapera, 40, with 24,000 capsules of tramadol weighing 13.4 kilogrammes and 697 grammes of ketamine.

In Delta State, a 30-year-old suspect, Edugua Othuke, was arrested at Ozoro, Isoko North Local Government Area, on October 31 with 10.54 kilogrammes of skunk, 9.4 kilogrammes of cannabis seeds and 4.3 grammes of methamphetamine.

Another suspect, Akpofure Tobore, 34, was arrested at Upper Agbarho, Ughelli, on November 4 with quantities of skunk, tramadol, Rohypnol and nitrous oxide, commonly called laughing gas.

Meanwhile, the NDLEA said its commands and formations across the country sustained their War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) sensitisation campaigns in schools, worship centres, workplaces and communities during the week.

The activities included awareness lectures at St. Andrew Basic School, Oyo; Government Technical College, Abakaliki, Ebonyi State; Sa’ad College, Kano; and Inland Girls Secondary School, Onitsha, Anambra State.

The agency’s Zone 1 Command also paid an advocacy visit to the Emir of Bauchi, Alhaji Rilwanu Sulaiman Adamu, at his palace.

The NDLEA Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd.), commended officers and personnel of the MMIA, Lagos, Ondo, Ekiti, Edo, Delta, Taraba and Enugu commands for the arrests and seizures.

Marwa described the arrest of the Ugandan woman as a reminder that drug cartels were exploiting religious travel to recruit couriers.

He urged officers across the country to sustain efforts to reduce both drug supply and demand.

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