By Ikugbadi Oluwasegun
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has intercepted a Saudi Arabia-bound consignment of cannabis concealed in a gallon of palm oil at the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport (MAKIA) and uncovered over N7 billion worth of illicit drugs at Lagos ports.
Femi Babafemi, NDLEA spokesman, disclosed this in a statement on Sunday, said operatives at MAKIA on Friday, October 16, intercepted a female passenger, Fatimah Ahmad, during outward clearance of an Ethiopian Airlines flight to Jeddah via Addis Ababa, with parcels of skunk weighing 511.75 grams hidden in palm oil.
According to him, the suspect claimed the gallon was given to her by her cousin, Abubakar Yahaya, who was arrested at the airport car park.
At the Apapa port in Lagos, Babafemi said a joint examination at APM Terminals on October 2 led to the discovery of a shipment declared as maize starch but confirmed as 8,725kg of powdered tramadol in 349 bags, worth over N6.98 billion.
He added that at Tincan port on October 12, operatives recovered 55kg of Canadian Loud valued at N165 million, hidden inside a Toyota Sienna in a 40-foot container.
In other Lagos operations, operatives arrested Elizabeth Chidera Kalu at Idumota market on October 14 with 10,600 ampoules of diazepam and 6,500 tablets of Molly, arrested two men in Mushin on October 15 with 121.18kg of skunk, and intercepted a truck along Iyana Oba with 18,000 pills of tramadol concealed as insecticide.
The statement said six suspects were arrested in Edo State, including 85-year-old Grace Ehimeka with 179kg of skunk at Warake in Owan East LGA.
In Ondo, five suspects were arrested and 7,500kg of skunk destroyed on a three-hectare farm at Okemoro Isinbode forest, with 1,281kg of exhibits recovered.
Other seizures include 894,800 pills of tramadol and Exol-5 in Bauchi, 30,100 tramadol tablets and 100,000 Exol-5 tablets in Kano, 496.5kg of cannabis and 49,500 tramadol tablets in Kaduna, and 29,500 tramadol capsules in the FCT.
Babafemi said NDLEA Chairman, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (rtd), commended the commands for their professionalism and urged them to sustain the onslaught against drug trafficking.
