The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, seized shipments of cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine and Indian hemp bound for London at Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos.
NDLEA spokesman Femi Babafemi said in a statement in Abuja on Sunday that the agency’s narcotics officers intercepted 20 packages of cocaine on Thursday, October 28.
This was during routine cargo clearance at the Nigerian Aviation Handling Company, the export hangar of NAHCO Plc.
He said the packages weighed 1.2 kg and were hidden in packages of Zee black soap.
He added that 23 packages of heroin weighing 1.4 kg also concealed in Zee black soap packages and 39 2.35 kg packages of methamphetamine concealed in Dudu-Osun black soap were also intercepted.
Mr Babafemi said another shipment was intercepted at the NAHCO hangar where 7.35 kg of Indian hemp concealed in Dudu Osun black soap tablets were recovered on October 21.
He said no less than three suspects have so far been arrested in connection with the seizures.
“A nursing mother who claims to be a part-time 400-level international studies and diplomacy student at the University of Benin, Mariam Dirisu had previously been arrested for trafficking 5 kg of skunk and 8.1 grams of Molly.
“She was arrested barely a week after being released on bail for attempting to smuggle drugs concealed in cassava flour called ‘akpu’ into the NDLEA cell for a suspect.
“The 35-year-old mother of a two-month-old baby was first arrested on October 21 by the agency’s Edo command,” he said.
Mr Babafemi quoted NDLEA chairman Buba Marwa as ordering the suspect to be counseled and released immediately because of the young baby she was carrying.
But in the latest development, the NDLEA Delta Command arrested the same Mariam on Saturday, October 30, for placing drug orders for delivery to her from Lagos even while she was still on bail for the previous offense.
“In Ondo State, as many as 1,645 kilograms of cannabis were seized during three bans in parts of the state.
“On October 28, NDLEA agents stormed a farm in Emure in Ondo State where 313 kg of Indian hemp was seized and seven suspects, Paul Godwin; Michael Nnaji, Ezugu Lucky, Omololu Sunday, Simon Taiwo, David Udofia and Mr. Suleiman were arrested.
“On October 27, agents attacked the Ipele-Idoani forest, also in Ondo State, and recovered 534 kg of abandoned compressed Indian hemp.
Officers also seized 798 kg of Indian hemp from two suspects, Gbenga Falodun and Faseyitan Opeyemi, who were arrested at the Ikare junction in the Owo region of Ondo state.
A white Mercedes Benz truck with a Lagos State registration number and 20,000 N coin was also recovered from them.
Mr Babafemi said that two suspected bogus security agents, Umar Ibrahim and Sadiq Abubakar, as well as their accomplice, Auwal Hassan, were arrested in Kogi.
He added that the suspects transported 105.4 kg of Indian hemp from Ondo state to Kaduna state on October 30 in a Mercedes Benz C 180 car with Abuja BWR 924 KH registration.
“Raids on three black spots in Oshodi, Ikeja and Ogba regions of Lagos State on October 23 led to the arrest of a 15-year-old SS II student at Idi-Araba high school , Walaka Adams, in Oshodi, with 100 grams of Indian hemp.
