By Deborah Nnamdi
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested a 45-year-old Nigerian PhD student and a 67-year-old Nigerian-British woman in separate operations over alleged attempts to traffic large quantities of cocaine.
In a statement on Sunday, the agency disclosed that Nwabueze Felix Onyeka, a PhD student at the University of Putra, Malaysia, was arrested during a sting operation in Ekwusigo Local Government Area of Anambra State on June 29.
According to the NDLEA, the arrest followed the interception of 36 parcels of cocaine weighing 5.8 kilograms, allegedly concealed within the walls of nine cartons of Orijin Bitters that were part of a consolidated cargo bound for Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
The agency said preliminary investigations led to the arrest of four suspects in Lagos, identified as cargo agent Alalade Taiwo Azeez, driver Ndem Ogbonna Kelechi, trader Okeke Tochukwu Chimezie, and Igwilo Chidi Henry, who allegedly supplied the cartons used to conceal the illicit drugs.
Further investigations reportedly led operatives to Onyeka’s hometown in Aziora, Ozubulu, Anambra State, where he was arrested and identified as the alleged leader of the trafficking syndicate.
In a separate operation, NDLEA operatives arrested 67-year-old Nigerian-British citizen, Mrs. Mary Yetunde Barek, at the departure hall of Terminal 2 of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos, while she was preparing to board a Virgin Atlantic flight to London.
The agency said a search of her luggage uncovered 31 wraps of cocaine weighing 13 kilograms, disguised as plantain peels and concealed among food items.
According to the NDLEA, the suspect, who works as a caregiver in the United Kingdom, admitted ownership of the recovered drugs during interrogation.
Meanwhile, the agency said its commands across the country continued to record major successes in anti-drug operations. In Taraba State, operatives arrested Daniel Harrison Ugwuoke, 30, along the Zaki-Biam Road in Wukari Local Government Area, where 43,980 capsules of Tramadol were allegedly recovered from two vehicle fuel tanks.
In Kaduna State, officers arrested Boniface Agu, 65, and Monday Nwaeze, 50, during a raid in Gwantu Local Government Area, recovering 1.7 kilograms of methamphetamine.
Similarly, in Ebonyi State, 65-year-old Francis Ifara Eja was arrested with 231.7 kilograms of skunk, while in Plateau State, 75-year-old Alhaji Babani was apprehended with 15 kilograms of the same substance in Qua’an Pan Local Government Area.
In Gombe State, NDLEA operatives also arrested Dahiru Mohammed, 65, and Isiya Lawan, 36, at Kuri village in Yamaltu-Deba Local Government Area, where they allegedly recovered 587 blocks of cannabis sativa weighing 556 kilograms.
The agency said it also sustained its War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) campaign through sensitisation programmes in schools, workplaces, and communities across the country.
NDLEA Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Brig.-Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd.), commended officers of the MMIA, Taraba, Kaduna, Ebonyi, Plateau, and Gombe commands for the arrests and seizures, urging them to intensify efforts to curb drug trafficking and expand public enlightenment campaigns against drug abuse.
