The National Drug Law Enforcement (NDLEA) has seized cocaine and heroine with a street value of over N30bn at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos.
This is coming barely one week after the new Chairman of the agency, General Muhammed Buba Marwa, vowed to dismantle drug trafficking cartels across the country.
One of the seizures, 26.840 kilograms of cocaine is the biggest single seizure from an individual in the past 15 years according to a top official of the agency.
The seizure according to the official happened, “On the 27th of January 2021, at about 1320hours, during the inward clearance of Ethiopian Airline passengers at the E- arrival hall of Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos, a female passenger by name Onyejegbu Ifesinachi Jennifer, 33 years, who arrived Nigeria from Sao Paulo, Brazil via Addis Ababa, was intercepted by NDLEA operatives.
“As a standard operating procedure, all passengers to and from high risk countries are always profiled using passengers’ manifest.
The suspect according to the agency was targeted and consequently taken to NDLEA office at the airport, where her bags were searched thoroughly, and in the process, whitish powdery substances were found concealed inside 16 pieces of duvet contained in her two travel bags.
Tests conducted on the substance confirmed it to be cocaine weighing 26.850kilograms which she confessed to have agreed to smuggle for the sum of N2million but she did not disclose her associates.
The seized consignment has a street value of N21billion.
The official further disclosed that the development came on the heels of a similar one recorded two days earlier at the airport, precisely on January 25, 2021 when a red left-over luggage was declared to the NDLEA operatives as a left over at the E- arrival hall after the inward clearance of passengers on Ethiopian airline.
The seizure also has a street value of over N7billion while a third seizure at the departure screening of passengers at the same airport on January 24, involved one Edosa Christopher who was subjected to body scan which proved positive for hard drugs ingestion.
He was immediately transferred to NDLEA/JBTF office for excretion observation and excreted a total of 68 wraps of substances which tested positive for Heroin weighing 9950 grams.
He disclosed on interrogation that he bought the substance from one Paddy at Eagle Rock Hotel around Ago Palace Way but investigation revealed that the said hotel does not exist anywhere in Lagos.
The Chairman, General Buba Marwa (Rtd) had already commended the MMIA,Lagos commander, Ahmadu Garba and his team for their efforts and following up on his directives at a meeting with all commanders in charge of the 36 States, FCT and special commands.
