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Large Quantities of Cocaine in Teabags Seized at Abuja, Lagos Airports 

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Large Quantities of Cocaine in Teabags Seized at Abuja, Lagos Airports 

Large Quantities of Cocaine in Teabags Seized at Abuja, Lagos Airports 

By: Michael Mike

Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have thwarted plans of drug traffickers to smuggle large quantities of cocaine in teabags into the country through Lagos and Abuja international airports.

A statement on Sunday by the spokesman of NDLEA, Femi Babafemi said fresh attempts by Brazil based drug cartels to smuggle substantial quantities of cocaine  into the country through the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja and Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos by concealing the Class-A illicit substance in teabags have again been thwarted.

He said at least, four traffickers involved in the attempts to import and export illicit drugs through the country in the last week are now in the custody of the anti-narcotics agency.

He disclosed that one of the traffickers is 33-year-old Pascal Ekene Okolo, who was arrested during an inward clearance of Qatar Airways flight from Sao Paulo via Doha at the arrival hall of the Abuja International Airport on Sunday 17th April.

He said Okolo who claimed to be into wine business in Brazil was arrested with a travelling bag containing different medicinal teabags, which were used to conceal 4.1 kilogrammes of cocaine.

He also disclosed that on the same day, a Canada based Nigerian, Anigo Godspower was intercepted at the D-Arrival Hall of the Lagos International Airport during an inward clearance of passengers on Qatar Airways from Sao Paolo via Doha to Lagos, noting that when his luggage was searched, two blocks of cocaine with a total weight of 2.1 kilogrammes were discovered.

He said the 52-year-old Anigo claimed he operated an unregistered Bureau De Change business before delving into the illicit drug trade.

Babafemi said the bid by another cartel to export 950 grammes  of heroin concealed in the soles of lady’s footwears through the MMIA cargo shed was equally foiled by anti-narcotics officers who have so far arrested two suspects linked to the crime.

He disclosed that those arrested between 16th and 17th April in connection with attempt to export the drug to Monrovia, Liberia include: Idokoja Chukwurah and Patrick Tochukwu.

He said NDLEA operatives in raids in Kano, Kaduna, Benue and Akwa Ibom state seized no less than 88,734 doses of tramadol, pentazocine, diazepam and swinol. In Kano, Aliyu Usman, 28, was arrested at Railway area of the state capital with 47,000 capsules of tramadol and 2,000 ampules of pentazocine injection on Tuesday 19th April while Saminu Usman, 28, was nabbed with 24,710 tramadol tablets at Gadar Tamburawa area of Kano two days earlier.

Also Read: World Book Day: Commission tasks Nigerians on reading…

He also said in Benue, another dealer, Emeka Eze was arrested at an NDLEA checkpoint at Adikpo, Kwande local government area of the state with 10,000 tramadol capsules and 900 tablets of swinol, while in Kaduna state, the duo of Raphael Daniel and David Musa were arrested at Mando park, Kaduna with 1 kilogramme of cocaine last Thursday.

He added that a week after Muhammad Ibrahim sent 12.1 kilogrammes  of cannabis from Lagos to Kaduna, operatives were able to trace and arrest him last Thursday and brought him to Kaduna after his consignment was intercepted. Another dealer, Kamilu Ibrahim was also arrested same day at Kargi village in Kubau local government area, Kaduna State with 10.6 kilogrammes cannabis sativa, while Bashir Ibrahim was arrested last Friday after his four consignments containing cannabis sativa weighing 44.6 kilogrammes were intercepted three days earlier along Abuja-Kaduna express road.

In Akwa Ibom state, operatives arrested two female drug dealers: Eno-Obong Edet, 36, and Hossana Ukpong, 28, with various quantities of rohypnol, diazepam, tramadol and cannabis, while a suspected fake security agent was arrested on Saturday in Abuja while moving 23.8 kilogrammes cannabis from Lagos to Maiduguri, Borno state.

Meanwhile, Chairman/Chief Executive of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa (Retd) apparent pleased with the development,  commended the officers and men of the NAIA, MMIA, Kano, Kaduna, Akwa Ibom and FCT Commands of the agency for sustaining the heat on drug cartels.

He however charged them and those in other commands across the country to remain vigilant and on the offensive until the last gramme of illicit drugs is taken off the street.

Large Quantities of Cocaine in Teabags Seized at Abuja, Lagos Airports 

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Former Footballer, 4 Others Arrested, Over 22.6kg Cocaine, Meth Seized at Lagos, Enugu Airports

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Former Footballer, 4 Others Arrested, Over 22.6kg Cocaine, Meth Seized at Lagos, Enugu Airports
…72-year-old Grandma, Beninese, Ithers Nabbed in NDLEA Raids in Delta, Kwara, Lagos

By: Michael Mike

Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have arrested a former football player Segun George Hunkarin along with his businessman partner Ntoruka Chinedu over attempt to smuggle a consignment of cocaine into Nigeria through the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos.

According to a statement on Sunday by the spokesman of the NDLEA, Femi Babafemi, Chinedu who is a frequent flyer known for conveying clothes from Turkey to Nigeria and foodstuffs from Nigeria to Turkey, was the first to be arrested upon his arrival at the Lagos airport last Tuesday, when his carry-on bag was searched, 37 wraps of cocaine weighing 800 grammes were seen to be concealed therein.

Babafemi said investigation showed that the suspect was coming from Turkey on Ethiopian Airlines flight but transited through Addis Ababa, Ethiopia where he collected the luggage from another person before heading to Nigeria.

He said further checks revealed that an accomplice who turned out to be the former professional footballer, Segun Hunkarin, was waiting for Chinedu at the airport carpark to collect the consignment from him. Hunkarin who had stayed years in Brazil playing for football clubs was promptly tracked and arrested at the carpark.

In his statement, Hunkarin was said to have claimed that while playing professional football in the South American country, he had only trafficked drugs twice from Brazil to Ethiopia but has never brought any to Nigeria.

Another Europe based businessman Amen Okoro was last Friday arrested by NDLEA operatives at the Lagos airport while attempting to traffic 5,000 pills of tramadol 225mg packaged as known malaria drugs such as Lonart, Amatem and Aluktem to Spain.

He was intercepted at the departure hall of terminal 2 of the airport during the outward clearance of passengers on Royal Air Maroc flight to Spain through Casablanca.

Babafemi said Okoro, who is into freight and logistics business between Europe and Nigeria, claimed that on his arrival in Spain, he would have taken a train to France where he resides and from there send the tramadol consignment to Italy for retailing.

At the Akanu Ibiam International Airport (AIIA) Enugu, Babafemi said NDLEA operatives last Friday intercepted a Maputo, Mozambique based bar attendant Ezenwaka Chibuzor. A search of his luggage led to the discovery of 17 cardboard size parcels of methamphetamine weighing 17.500 kilogrammes and three parcels of cocaine weighing 3.05 kilogrammes.

He revealed that the 38-year-old suspect was coming from Johannesburg, South Africa via Addis Ababa, Ethiopia on Ethiopian Airlines flight when he was interdicted and subjected to a search during which the illicit drugs concealed in bedsheets packed in his bags were discovered.

He noted that another passenger on board the same Ethiopian Airlines flight, 54-year-old Azu Kpodar was also intercepted at the Enugu airport by NDLEA operatives. When Azu, who arrived from Sao Paulo, Brazil, was searched, a liquid soap plastic container marked YPE, was discovered in his luggage. The substance was promptly taken for analysis at the NDLEA forensic and chemical laboratory, Enugu where the substance tested positive to cocaine.

The substance which turned out to be liquid cocaine weighed 1.250 kilogrammes, the
suspect who is a toy seller in Brinquedo, Sao Paulo, Brazil, claimed he purchased while shopping for his wedding ceremony in Nigeria.

NDLEA operatives at the Seme border area of Badagry in Lagos last Tuesday intercepted a 26-year-old Beninese Vode Jean-Luck while trying to smuggle 69 balls of skunk, a strain of cannabis with a gross weight of 29.5 kilogrammes from Benin Republic into Nigeria.

In Kwara state, a notorious drug dealer Mary Oladele (a.k.a Iya Nafi) was arrested last Wednesday when NDLEA operatives raided her base in Omu-Aran in Irepodun local government area of the state where various quantities of skunk, tramadol and flunitrazepam were recovered from her.

Babafemi said a 72-year-old grandma Mrs. Christy Ejaro was last Tuesday arrested by NDLEA operatives at Niger CAT area of Warri, Delta state, with several sachets of skunk packaged in retail size recovered from her.

The spokesman said the War Against Drug Abuse, WADA, social advocacy activities by NDLEA commands equally continued across the country in the past week.

Meanwhile, the Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa (Rtd), while commending the officers and men of MMIA, AIIA, Delta, Kwara, and Seme commands of the agency for the arrests and seizures of the past week, equally praised their counterparts in all the commands across the country for ensuring a fair balance between their drug supply reduction and drug demand reduction efforts.

Former Footballer, 4 Others Arrested, Over 22.6kg Cocaine, Meth Seized at Lagos, Enugu Airports

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Troops repel armed herdsmen attack on farmers in Benue

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Troops repel armed herdsmen attack on farmers in Benue

By: Zagazola Makama

Farmers and residents along the Daudu–Makurdi Expressway in Benue State were thrown into panic on Saturday following an attempted attack by armed herdsmen at Atson Village.

Security sources told Zagazola Makama that the incident, which occurred at about 3:18 p.m., led to chaos as people fled in different directions some towards Agan Toll Gate and others toward Gbajimba Road after reports emerged that armed herders were invading farms and destroying crops.

The sources said the attackers were heavily armed and had begun chasing farmers from their farmlands when security surveillance teams patrolling the area intervened.

On sighting the troops, the armed herdsmen reportedly fled into the bush.

Calm has since been restored to the affected area, and a joint patrol by security operatives is ongoing to ensure the safety of lives and property and to prevent a recurrence.

Troops repel armed herdsmen attack on farmers in Benue

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Crime

Troops repel coordinated attacks on three Plateau communities

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Troops repel coordinated attacks on three Plateau communities

By: Zagazola Makama

Troops of Operation Safe Haven (OPSH) along with other security forces, successfully repelled coordinated attacks on three communities in Riyom Local Government Area by gunmen suspected to be Fulani militias.

Zagazola Makama report that the affected communities Rim, Angwan Wereng, and Cum came under attack between 10:50 p.m. and 11:40 p.m. on Thursday night.

The troops responded promptly to distress calls and engaged the attackers, forcing them to flee the area.

“On receipt of the information, army troops and other sister security agencies moved swiftly to the scenes and repelled the attackers,”said the sources.

No official casualties were confirmed as of the time of this report, but the situation is said to be under control while normalcy has returned to the affected areas.

Troops repel coordinated attacks on three Plateau communities

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