From Aidoghie Paulinus, Abuja
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), has nabbed a drug trafficker, Ukaegbu Bright Onyekachi, with 3.30 kilograms of illicit drugs at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos.
The NDLEA, in a statement issued in Abuja, said the arrest of Ukaegbu is coming few days after at least three cocaine cartels were busted at the MMIA, Lagos.
Ukaegbu, the NDLEA said, was arrested on Monday, February 1, during the inward clearance of passengers on Ethiopian Airline at the E arrival hall of the MMIA, Lagos.
The Commander, MMIA Command of the NDLEA, Mr Ahmadu Garba, disclosed that Ukaegbu arrived Nigeria aboard Ethiopian Airlines from São Paulo, Brazil via Addis Ababa.
‘The hard drug was cleverly concealed in T-shirts stickers, but he couldn’t escape the eagle eyes of our detectives,’ Garba said.
In a related development, the NDLEA has said its operatives of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Command, at the weekend, raided a number of drug spots in Abuja.
The NDLEA stated that during the raid fourteen people, including three men in military uniform suspected to be fake soldiers, were arrested and different quantities of cocaine, codeine, Rohypnol and Indian hemp were recovered.
The NDLEA listed some of the drug spots raided by its operatives to include Wuse Zone 4 and 5; Wuse by Banex Plaza and Garki by Torabora.
Also raided, according to the NDLEA, were Area 1 by Gwagwalada Park; Dagwa Village and Abattoir in Karu.
FCT Commander of the NDLEA, Lawan 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.”
Meanwhile, the Nasarawa Command of the NDLEA has uncovered a cannabis warehouse in Lafia, Nasarawa State where 45 bags of illegal drug weighing 474kg were recovered.
According to the State Commander of the NDLEA, Justice Arinze, ‘the recovery was the biggest singular seizure since the inception of the command in 1999. We’re grateful to our new Chairman, Gen Marwa who made the feat possible for us by empowering us with the needed logistics to go all out.’
Arinze further said the command is continuing with its operation ‘Hana Kwaya’ in collaboration with other security agencies to raid drug joints and markets.
He added that the first phase of the operation had covered some local government areas in the state with the arrest of 54 suspects comprising 12 dealers and 42 drug users, while a total of 604 kilogrammes of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances have been seized.
On his part, NDLEA Chairman, Gen Buba Marwa, commended the men and officers of the MMIA, FCT and Nasarawa commands of the NDLEA, for taking the war to the doorsteps of traffickers and peddlers of illicit drugs in their areas.
‘I have told the commanders in my meeting with them that our maxim is offensive action and I’m glad they are following up on the strategies outlined for them,’ Marwa said.
