Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency apprendend a 50-year-old businessman from Spain, Francis Akajiobi, at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos carring to parcels of cocaine
The NDLEA spokesman, Femi Babafemi,confirmed the arrest. Babafemi said, “The two parcels of cocaine were concealed in the soles of a pair of black sandals Akajiobi was wearing to board his flight when NDLEA operatives intercepted him on Thursday 25th July 2024.”
Babafemi added that Akajiobi claimed he was to deliver the drugs to a friend in Spain for a fee of €5,000. “During his preliminary interview, he claimed the consignment was delivered to him at a bar in Port Harcourt, Rivers state,” Babafemi noted.
In another operation, NDLEA agents seized 99 parcels of Canadian Loud, a synthetic strain of cannabis, weighing 51.60 kilograms. The drugs arrived at the SAHCO Imports shed of Lagos airport on a Turkish Airlines flight from Canada via Istanbul. Babafemi stated, “A suspect, Makinde Sodiq Lekan, was arrested in connection with this seizure.”
A third major arrest involved Chukwuemaka Obodozie, a suspected kingpin. Babafemi reported, “Obodozie was arrested on Sunday 21st July at Cele bus stop along Oshodi-Apapa express road, Lagos with 100,000 tablets of tramadol 225mg. The arrest followed five months of surveillance.”
On Friday 26th July, NDLEA operatives raided the Owena forest in Oriade LGA, Osun State. They arrested 17 suspects and destroyed 31,250 kilograms of cannabis grown on 12.5 hectares of farmland. Among those arrested were Peter Osuya, 51, and Zebron Ode, 46. Babafemi said, “We also recovered 84kg of processed cannabis sativa and a single barrel Dane gun.”
In Kaduna State, a 32-year-old woman, Ubaida Aliyu, was intercepted with 573 rounds of live ammunition, which she claimed were for bandits in Sokoto. Babafemi added that another suspect, Godwin Udochukwu, 35, was arrested with 25,000 ampoules of Pentazocine injection.
Other significant arrests include Alkasim Mikailu, 35, in Kano with 37,880 ampoules of Diazepam injection, and Abioye Adeniyi, 39, and Rafiu Lekan, 41, with 55 jumbo wraps of Ghana Loud.
In Bauchi State, Suleiman Yahaya, 50, and Ibrahim Bello, 35, were arrested with 315 blocks of cannabis sativa weighing 204.750kg.
The NDLEA is also actively engaging in its War Against Drug Abuse campaign. The agency has been conducting sensitization activities in schools, workplaces, and communities across the country.
Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), commended the officers for their efforts. He said, “I am delighted with their success in disrupting drug cartels and balancing drug supply reduction with demand reduction activities.”
