KOREDE FOGO
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), has arrested two pregnant women at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) Ikeja, Lagos for drug trafficking through the airport.
NDLEA spokesperson, Femi Babafemi, said on Wednesday, May 4, NDLEA operatives at the SAHCO export shed of the airport intercepted some cartons of alcoholic drinks suspected to contain illicit drugs.
A freight agent, who brought the consignment for export to Dubai, UAE, Shola Ogunrinde, was immediately arrested while a follow-up operation led to the arrest of a pregnant woman, Mrs. Seun Babatunde, who operated an alcohol joint in Pleasure area of Iyana Ipaja.
When the cartons were opened in the presence of the agent and the pregnant owner, seven parcels of cannabis and a sachet of ecstasy drug (MDMA) were found concealed inside Cans of ‘black bullet’ alcoholic drinks.
In her confession, Mrs. Babatunde claimed the drugs were being sent to her husband who lives in Dubai.
The second pregnant woman, Mrs. Gloria Asibor, was arrested on Thursday, May 5 while attempting to board a Turkish Airline flight to Bolonia, Spain via Istanbul, Turkey.
A search of her luggage containing food items led to the discovery of 300 tablets of 200mg and 225mg high dosage Tramadol concealed in crayfish.
Also, a Brazilian returnee, Nworie Phillip Chikwendu, was earlier nabbed on Tuesday, May 3 during an inward clearance of passengers on Qatar Airways flight from Sao Paulo, Brazil enroute Doha to Lagos after he was found with a total of four parcels of cocaine weighing 800grams.
The NDLEA said in his confessional statement, the suspect claimed a friend gave him the parcel to deliver for N2,000,000.
Meanwhile, large consignments of psychoactive substances have been intercepted in parts of North-West, North-East and North-Central parts of the country.
In Kaduna, a drug dealer, Obinna Anene a.k.a Young Alhaji was arrested on Friday, May 6 at Buwaya Kaduna with 50,000 tablets of Diazepam weighing 9kg; 595 tablets of Tramadol weighing 318grams and 8 tablets of Co-codamol weighing 6grams.
Same day, a trafficker, Alhaji Modu Yahaya, was caught with 26.5kg cannabis in Damaturu, Yobe State while travelling in a commercial vehicle from Abuja to Maiduguri, Borno State.