By THE National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested a 50-year-old businessman, Osuoha Christian Iheanacho, at the Akanu Ibiam International Airport (AIIA), Enugu, for ingesting 90 wraps of cocaine.
Osuoha, intercepted on 20th November during passenger screening from Addis Ababa, egested 90 pellets of cocaine weighing 2.019 kilograms after surveillance revealed his involvement in the drug trade.
He admitted resorting to the trade to save his failing phone and accessories business.
The suspects
Further investigations revealed that Osuoha travelled a convoluted route from Gabon to Lagos via Douala and Addis Ababa, aiming to evade NDLEA detection.
However, his movements had been monitored for three months.
In Lagos, a separate operation led to the arrest of 42-year-old Ndive Maxwell Obinna, the head of a cocaine cartel, alongside five associates.
NDLEA recovered 2.412 kilograms of cocaine during the raid. Another syndicate led by Chinese national Tianzhen Yen, alias “Jackie,” was dismantled after his arrest at a Lagos hotel.
Yen was linked to 750 grams of cocaine seized from a suspect en route to Ghana. Searches at his hotel revealed additional drugs and trafficking tools.
At Lagos’ Tincan Port, NDLEA operatives intercepted 92 parcels of Loud cannabis weighing 23.25 kilograms, concealed in vehicles imported from Canada.
In Rivers State, joint efforts between NDLEA and Customs at the Onne Ports led to the seizure of opioids worth over N4.3 billion, including codeine and tramadol.
The Ekiti suspect
In Ekiti and Oyo States, officers arrested individuals in possession of cannabis, including a physically challenged woman with 286 grams of high-grade cannabis.
Similarly, in Edo State, NDLEA raids yielded over 1,200 kilograms of cannabis, with arrests in multiple locations.
In northern states like Kano and Bauchi, NDLEA apprehended suspects transporting blocks of cannabis, totalling nearly 170 kilograms.
Across the country, the agency also sustained its War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) sensitisation programme, reaching schools, workplaces, and communities.
Some of the suspects
Brigadier General Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), NDLEA Chairman, commended the dedication of the agency’s teams for their successes in reducing both drug supply and demand.
He encouraged continued vigilance and community cooperation in combating the menace of drug abuse and trafficking.
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