NDLEA arrests man with S/Africa-bound ephedrine concealed in Semovita packs at Lagos airport
National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has disclosed that its operatives have seized various quantities of South Africa and Kenya-bound drugs such as ephedrine, skunk and nitrous oxide, popularly known as laughing gas concealed in Semovita and dry pepper packs.
According to NDLEA, the consignments were intercepted at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Ikeja, in Lagos state by members of Transnational Drug Trafficking Organizations (DTO), which further disclosed that ‘some suspects were promptly arrested, their mansions raided and their luxury vehicles seized.’
Director, Media and Advocacy of the agency, Mr. Femi Babafemi, in a press statement, Sunday said the anti-narcotics agency also ‘on Friday, August 25 intercepted a notorious drug trafficker, Suleiman Babatunde Oba, who is a member of a cartel distributing cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine and ephedrine between Nigeria, Brazil, Ghana, South Africa, Mozambique, and Europe.’
“Oba was arrested while attempting to board a Rwanda Air flight to South Africa with two boxes loaded with ephedrine sealed in Semovita packs.
“The recovered substance is a precursor chemical and active ingredient in the production of methamphetamine.
“Another bid to export a consignment of 180 canisters of laughing gas to South Africa by a freight agent, Oyekola Gbenga Akeem for a fee of N2 million was also frustrated by operatives who seized the cargo and arrested the suspect,” the agency reported.
The NDLEA further disclosed that its operatives ‘on Friday 25th August, succeeded in arresting a drug kingpin, Ngene Emmanuel Onyedikachi, who recruited the fake couple, Ilonzeh Kingsley Onyebuchi and Ilonzeh Roseline Nonyelum arrested for ingesting 1.822kg and 1.50kg of Cocaine respectively at the Lagos airport on 1st August while on their way to India.’
On the War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) campaign by the NDLEA, the agency’s spokesperson disclosed that operatives have ‘intensified advocacy in schools, worship places, palaces and local communities among others across the states and the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.’
“These was through sensitization lectures conducted at Holy Trinity Gospel Church, Ogbomoso, and for Muslim faithful at Jammatul Nasirul Islam Mosque, Ilorin, members of the Association of Hair Stylists in Ado Ekiti, leaders of road transport union in Abeokuta, traders at Kwata market, Awka, pregnant women at primary health care centre, Bonny, Dekara district palace, Babana community in Borgu LGA and at Noorul Huda Islamiyya school, Kafin Maiyaki,” Babafemi reported.
