In what appears to be its biggest catch in a long while, the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency has arrested one Ukaegbu Onyekachi with a 3.30 kilogram of cocaine at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Lagos State. It was gathered that Onyekachi, who arrived from Sao Paulo, Brazil, via an Ethiopian airline, was intercepted on Monday during an inward clearance of passengers of the airline at the E Arrival Hall of the airport.
In a statement on Tuesday, the airport commander of the NDLEA, Ahmadu Garba, said Onyekachi concealed the drug inside T-shirt stickers. He said, “The hard drug was cleverly concealed in T-shirts stickers, but he couldn’t escape the eagle eyes of our detectives.”
Similarly, the FCT command of the agency raided some drug spots in Abuja and arrested 14 people including three suspected fake soldiers and different quantities of cocaine, codeine; Rohypnol and Indian hemp were allegedly recovered from them.
According to the FCT commander of the agency, Lawan Hammisu, the areas raided in the FCT are Wuse Zone 4 and 5; Wuse by Banex Plaza; Garki by Torabora; Area 1 by Gwagwalada Park; Dagwa village and Abattoir in Karu. Hammisu said, “The 14 persons arrested are being investigated in connection with the recovery of 34.8kg cannabis sativa. Also seized were other quantities of cocaine, codeine and Rohypnol. Three of the arrested persons who were in military camouflage are still being profiled, but are suspected to be fake soldiers.”
In a related development, the Nasarawa command of the NDLEA said it uncovered a cannabis warehouse in Lafia where 45 bags of illegal drugs weighing 474kg were recovered. A 35-year-old housewife, Mrs Rakiya Haladu, was arrested in connection with the seizure, said to be worth N11,250,000.
While parading the suspects at the command office in Lafia on Tuesday, the state Commandant, Justice Arinze, revealed that officers arrested 54 drug suspects, comprising 12 dealers and 42 drug addicts, across the 13 local government areas and 18 local council development areas of the state. Arinze said 10 drug dealers were convicted at the Federal High Court.