A 40-year-old ‘businessman,’ Sherif Egbo Ally, was arrested at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja while attempting to board an Air France flight to Paris, France.

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency apprehended him after discovering that he had ingested illicit drugs.

According to the NDLEA, Sherif Egbo Ally was arrested on Saturday, October 14, after a body scanner revealed that he had wraps of illicit drugs in his stomach. In total, he excreted 93 pellets of heroin weighing 2.222 kilograms.

The suspect claimed that he works at a chicken hatchery farm in Madrid, Spain, but also confessed to being involved in the drug trafficking business.

The spokesperson for the NDLEA, Femi Babafemi revealed in a communique released on Sunday

“He was subsequently placed under observation at the agency’s exhibit recovery room where he excreted 93 pellets of heroin weighing 2.222 kilogrammes. In his statement, the suspect claimed he works at a chicken hatchery farm in Madrid, Spain, and also in the drug trafficking business.”

In a related operation, NDLEA operatives at the NAHCO imports shed of the Murtala Mohammed International Airport in Ikeja, Lagos, seized a consignment of 10 cartons containing 500,000 pills of tramadol 225mg branded as tapentadol.

The cargo was shipped from India through Qatar Airways with an airwaybill number MAWB 319-01227236 and was purported to be a transit cargo to Monrovia, Liberia.

The seizure resulted from a partnership and real-time intelligence sharing between NDLEA and its Liberian counterpart.

Babafemi, commented on the seizures, saying, “The lid was blown open through partnership and real-time intelligence sharing mechanisms between NDLEA and its Liberian counterpart.”

In yet another attempt, an intending passenger, Ngene Chinecherem, tried to export 11.100kgs of skunk and 600 grams of tramadol concealed in foodstuffs through the Lagos airport but was apprehended by NDLEA officers who seized the illicit substances.

Chinecherem exclaimed, “I was desperate and thought I could make some money, but now I regret my actions.”

Additional seizures included 1kg of methamphetamine concealed in containers of body cream destined for New Zealand and 2.5kgs of cocaine and phenacetin hidden in the walls of a carton heading to Saudi Arabia.

Furthermore, 112 grams of Dimethyl Sulfone and 583 grams of cocaine and phenacetin were seized at a courier company in Lagos.

Dimethyl Sulfone was concealed in the hollow of a motor driving shaft, while the consignment of cocaine and phenacetin was packed into a bottle of body cream.

In Imo State, operatives intercepted a Mercedes Benz container truck parked in an isolated area along the Owerri-Onitsha expressway.

A search of the abandoned truck led to the recovery of 168 bags of skunk weighing 1,854 kilograms.

The driver, who was later apprehended, stated, “I was paid to transport the bags, but I didn’t know they contained drugs.”

Notably, Edo State witnessed the seizure of over 1,381.3kgs of the same substance in four interdiction operations, including Ekpon community, Igueben LGA, Iguiye forest in Ovia North East LGA, Iruekpen, Ndokwa West (resulting in the arrest of a suspect, Monday Samuel Nwocha), and Egwalor village in Onwude LGA, where the duo of Obune Prince and Chika Obi were apprehended, and their Audi 80 salon car loaded with cannabis sativa was recovered.

An NDLEA official involved in the operations shared, “We are committed to ridding our communities of illicit substances and criminal activities.”

In Kano state, an ex-convict, Aminu Suleiman, 46, was arrested along with Haruna Abdurrahaman, 41, and Ojo Joseph Esezobor, 34, at Gadar Tamburawa area of the state on Saturday, October 14 while 106kgs of cannabis were recovered.

Aminu was first arrested with 22kgs of cannabis on June 3, 2022, and was convicted by the court on November 24, 2022.

Four other suspects – Inusa Ali, Yahaya Musa, Abba Audu, Ali Abubakar, and Bunu Kyari were also arrested at Gadar Tamburawa area of Kano on Monday, October 16th for dealing in 75.3kgs of skunk.

A witness to the arrests said, “We appreciate the efforts of NDLEA in ridding our communities of drug-related problems.”

Meanwhile, operatives of the Zone J Command of the NDLEA seized 478kgs of cannabis in a forest in Ikere Ekiti on Friday, October 20.

In Ondo state, NDLEA operatives recovered a total of 928kgs of the same substance in a bush by Shagari market, along Ifon-Owo express road, and Ibola camp, Ipele forest.

The NDLEA Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), commended the arrests and seizures, urging NDLEA personnel across all formations to remain vigilant, especially during the year-end season when criminal networks may become more desperate to make money by any means.