The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency has announced the arrest of Francis Akajiobi, who was reportedly found with parcels of cocaine.
The NDLEA spokesperson, Femi Babafemi, in a statement on Sunday, explained that Akajiobi was apprehended on July 25 at Lagos’ Murtala Muhammed International Airport while attempting to board a Royal Air Maroc flight to Madrid, Spain.
Babafemi detailed that the cocaine, weighing 1.20 kg, was hidden in Akajiobi’s sandals.
NDLEA said the suspect revealed that the consignment was “delivered to him at a bar in Port Harcourt, Rivers state and was to deliver it to his friend and neighbour in Spain for a fee of Five Thousand Euros (€5,000) upon successful delivery to the recipient”.
The agency also apprehended Makinde Sodiq Lekan in connection with a consignment containing 99 parcels of Canadian Loud, a synthetic cannabis strain.
According to Babafemi, the substance arrived at the SAHCO Imports shed of the MMIA from Canada, routed through Istanbul, Turkey, on a Turkish Airlines flight.
Additionally, on July 21, NDLEA arrested Chukwuemaka Obodozie with 100,000 tablets of tramadol 225mg concealed in two bags shortly after his arrival from Ghana.
The anti-drug agency described the suspect as one of the key figures in “syndicates that specialize in shipping large consignments of opioids into neighboring countries, from where they attempt to smuggle them into Nigeria in smaller quantities through transport companies.”
The statement further revealed that Chukwuemeka’s arrest was the result of intelligence gathered after five months of surveillance.
“No fewer than 17 suspects were arrested on Friday 26th July when NDLEA operatives raided the Owena forest in Oriade LGA, Osun State, where they destroyed 31,250 kilograms of cannabis on 12.5 hectares of farmland, while 84kg of processed cannabis sativa was recovered along with a single barrel Dane gun,” the statement reads.
“Those arrested include: Peter Osuya, 51; Zebron Ode, 46; Dogo Reuben Matthew, 35; Isaac Terna; Joseph David Lawrence, 27; Ugochukwu Victory, 24; Olamilekan Abolarin, 26; Dele Ayibo, 44; Ojo Moses, 21; Nini Ayila, 27; Msughve Clement, 23; Chuks Ogeneku, 40; Dada Aribo, 20; Uche Endurance, 30; Patrick Agba, 21; Osakwe Kennedy, 45; and Ojo Babatunde, 29.
“In Kaduna state, NDLEA operatives on stop and search patrol along Kaduna-Zaria highway on Saturday July 27 intercepted a 32-year-old lady, Ubaida Aliyu in possession of 573 rounds of 7.60 live ammunition, which she claimed she was attempting to deliver to bandits in Sokoto.
“While a suspect, Godwin Udochukwu, 35, was arrested in connection with the seizure of 25,000 ampoules of Pentazocine injection by NDLEA operatives on patrol along Kaduna-Zaria highway, another suspect, Alkasim Mikailu, 35, was nabbed in Kano on a follow-up operation following the seizure of 37,880 ampoules of Diazepam injection along Abuja-Kaduna highway.”
