The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has apprehended a 34-year-old South African woman with 36.65 kilogrammes of cocaine at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos and a 62-year-old Nigerian-American grandmother with 9.45 kilogrammes of cannabis.
The arrests formed part of a statewide campaign in which other states also discovered big consignments of cannabis, tramadol, codeine syrup and other illicit narcotics.
The NDLEA said the South African suspect who it gave as Qhina Beauty was arrested on October 7 while allegedly trying to board a Qatar Airways flight to South Africa via Doha.
The cocaine was allegedly concealed in her suitcase.
A Lagos based vehicle dealer, Uchenna Victor Umunnakwe was arrested over his suspected involvement in the drug trafficking business, following investigations.
Operatives also apprehended 62-year-old Nigerian-American real estate dealer Anetor Gloria Ubong in a separate operation after she arrived from Houston, United States with 9.45 kilogrammes of cannabis, widely known as loud, hidden in a box.
The group’s activities moved to other parts of the country, leading to several arrests and large narcotics seizures.
NDLEA operatives also detained a physically challenged woman, Helen Bakporo Samson, carrying six kilogrammes of cannabis in Delta State. Another defendant was arrested with thousands of tramadol capsules, codeine syrup and other medicinal painkillers.
Operatives recovered over 60 kilogrammes of cannabis in Taraba State and 379 kilogrammes in Bauchi State while around 100 kilogrammes were confiscated in Kano State.
The agency also destroyed two cannabis fields in Edo State, and seized 583 kg of abandoned cannabis in Ondo State. The farms were thought to be producing more than two tonnes of the illegal drug between them.
Additional operations in Niger, Oyo and Lagos states led to more arrests and seizures of banned narcotics.
Apart from its enforcement actions, the NDLEA said it had continued its War Against Drug misuse campaign in schools and communities in attempts to curb substance misuse and prevent illicit drug consumption.
The agency’s Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Brigadier General Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd.), praised the officers who took part in the operations, and urged them to sustain the fight against drug trafficking and substance addiction.
The indictment against Marwa comes amid heightened attempts by the agency to crack down on drug trafficking networks, intercept illicit drugs and prevent Nigeria from being used as a conduit for international drug trafficking.
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