- Intercepts drugs movement to Italy, Turkey
From Olukayode Idowu
Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have arrested a woman with 35 wraps of cocaine hidden in her underwear at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, MMIA, Lagos.
The woman, Edith Okafor was apprehended on Saturday during the outward clearance of passengers on Air Cote d’Ivoire, to Monrovia, Liberia.
According to a statement on Sunday by the spokesman of the NDLEA, Femi Babafemi, the suspect, who tucked the pellets of cocaine in her underwear to beat security checks at the airport was picked up for search and questioning during which the wraps of the illicit drug were found on her.
Babafemi said during preliminary interview, the suspect claimed her desire to make money pushed her into drug trafficking.
He also disclosed that another suspect, Echendu Maduakolam, an intending male passenger going to Istanbul was arrested at Gate A departure hall of the MMIA on Tuesday 27th July during outward clearance of Egypt airline to Turkey with 78 grammes of cannabis mixed with dried bitter leaves.
On the same day, another intending male passenger, Egbon Osarodion going to Milan, Italy was arrested at the airport’s Gate A departure hall during outward clearance of passengers on Egypt airline with different quantities of 225 milligrammes Tramadol and Rohypnol concealed in foil papers wrapped in a polyethylene bag.
In another incident, NDLEA operatives from Kontagora Area command of the agency in the early hours of Thursday 29th July 2021, acting on credible intelligence, raided a warehouse at Mailefe village in Kontagora Local Government Area of Niger state, where drug supplies for bandits operating in parts of the state were stored.
After a thorough search of the warehouse, 125 bags of cannabis sativa, were recovered while a man seen praying in front of the house fled into the forest when he sighted the narcotic officers from afar.
Meanwhile, Chairman/ Chief Executive of the NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa (Retd) has commended the commanders, officers and men of the MMIA and Niger state commands of the Agency for their continued efforts in tracking down traffickers of illicit drugs in their areas of responsibility.
He however charged them and their counterparts in other commands to remain focused and resolute in pursuit of the goal to rid Nigeria of illicit substances and drug related criminalities.