Sunday Oyinloye
The all-out war recently declared against drug traffickers by the Chairman /Chief Executive of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Retd) has been yielding results as traffickers of illicit drugs daily walk into the traps of the anti-narcotic Agency of the government of Nigeria.
The latest arrest was that of Italy-bound woman, Mrs. Nnadi Nora Chinyere who was caught with 100 wraps of heroin and two parcels of same substance concealed in five containers of hair relaxer cream.
Nora was arrested at the departure hall of the Murtala Mohammed International Airport, MMIA, Ikeja, Lagos, during an outward clearance of passengers on Qatar Airways flight to Florentine, Italy.
In a similar development, operatives of the MMIA Command of NDLEA intercepted a United Kingdom bound consignment of illicit drugs at the NAHCO export shed of the airport.
According to Femi Babafemi, Director, Media & Advocacy of NDLEA, “investigation reveals the consignment contains 66.600kg of cannabis sativa; 1.600kg heroin and 1.450kg of cocaine with a combined weight of 69.65kilograms, all concealed inside cosmetics”.
He disclosed further “narcotic officers on routine patrol intercepted another consignment of 25.8 kilograms of cocaine and cannabis concealed inside foodstuffs going to London, UK at NAHCO export warehouse. When the export package was opened and examined, 2.3kg of cocaine and 23.5kg of compressed cannabis were discovered inside”.
In a related development, a patrol operation along Akure-Owo road, a team of operatives from Owo Area command of the Agency equally intercepted a bus from Lagos enroute Owo to Ibilo, Kogi state .. Recovered from the vehicle include six parcels of skunk weighing 3.6kg; 30 pinches of Crack Cocaine weighing 87grams and six sachets of Arizona weighing 265grams. Two suspects have been arrested in connection to the drug trafficking.
Meanwhile, Benue State Command of the agency arrested an interstate trafficker, Eze Victor Ezenwanne at Apir- Aliade road, Makurdi with 65.436kilograms of diazepam tablets. Same day, a suspected fake soldier, Adeyemi Segun Olamide was arrested in Maiduguri, Borno state with 650grams of skunk while a Nigerian Army ex-staff sergeant, Muffat Ekong and one Frank Iredia Obamwonyi were arrested on Wednesday 11th August with 286.3kilograms of cannabis at Ogwashi Uku, Delta state on their way to Enugu State.
For the brilliant performance of his officers and men, the Chairman/Chief Executive of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Retd) has commended operatives at the MMIA command as well as their Ondo, Borno, Benue and Delta state counterparts for the huge seizures and arrests. He charged them and other commands to sustain the current momentum, assuring them that President Muhammadu Buhari recognises their efforts and would continue to motivate them to do more.
