The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested a 22-year-old woman, Amaka Ogonachukwu, for allegedly attempting to smuggle wraps of cocaine hidden in cooked rice for her boyfriend, Monday Imagbebenikaro.
Imagbebenikaro, 40, is currently in the custody of the Edo State Command of the agency.
NDLEA spokesman, Mr. Femi Babafemi, who disclosed this in a statement, said Imagbebenikaro was arrested earlier along the Airport Road for dealing in crack cocaine, Indian hemp and anabolic steroids.
Babafemi also said the agency seized 8,381,600 capsules of tramadol and 56,782 bottles of codeine in major raids in Lagos State.
He said the seizures followed the directive of the chairman/chief executive of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohammad Buba Marwa (retd) to carry out sustained surveillance on some targets in Satellite Town and Alaba Rago areas of Lagos, ahead of Christmas.
He said the Satellite Town target was eventually raided on Thursday, December 23, when an alleged drug kingpin, Ezekiel Ibe, was arrested and over five tons of high milligrams tramadol; 225mg and 100mg recovered from his warehouse.
A breakdown of the seized drug shows 7,991,600 tramadol tablets and 390,000 capsules of same weighing 5,468.894 kilograms were seized.
In another raid on Monday, December 20, on a notorious neighbourhood at Alaba Rago, Alaba area of Lagos, NDLEA said one Surajo Mohammed, was arrested with 941.14kg cannabis while 56,782 bottles of codeine were seized from the store of another drug dealer yet to be apprehended.
“In a related development, an outbound passenger to Italy on Turkish Airline, Ovire Cyril has been arrested with 114 wraps of heroin with a gross weight of 1.80kg during a routine search at Gate “C’ Departure Hall of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) Ikeja, Lagos.
“The drugs were concealed inside the pockets of four jean trousers, packed in a black suitcase. The suspect, who confessed that he was pushed into the crime by hardship after he lost his Job, claimed he was promised €5,000 if he successfully delivers the consignment in Italy.
“On the same day, during outward clearance of Ethiopian Airline passengers’ luggage at the same gate, a male passenger, Osakue Evbuomwan travelling to Milan, Italy was arrested with 1.55kg of Tramadol concealed in a Ghana-must-go bag.
“Commending the Commanders, officers and men of the Lagos, Edo and MMIA commands of the agency for not letting down their guard during the festive season, Gen. Marwa assured them and their counterparts in other commands that his leadership would always reward exemplary performance, even as he urged them to remain focused and always aspire to surpass previous feats,” Babafemi added.
