NDLEA arrests Paris-bound businessman with 111 wraps of cocaine
By Innocent Raphael
Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have apprehended Emmanuel Okechuku Orjinze, a 48-year-old businessman bound for Paris, France, for ingesting 111 wraps of cocaine.
The NDLEA disclosed this in a statement signed by its Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, on Sunday.
The arrest occurred at Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport (NAIA), Abuja. Orjinze, who also claims to be a professional footballer in Europe, was taken into custody after a body scan confirmed he had ingested illicit drugs.
Over a period of three days, he excreted the 111 pellets, which weighed 1.603 kilograms.
Orjinze, who professed to be involved in the maritime sector while seeking engagement with European football clubs, was detained on May 21 during the outward clearance of Air France flight AF 878 from Abuja to Paris.
Major Drug Bust at Lagos Airport
In a related operation, NDLEA officers at Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) in Ikeja, Lagos, dismantled a drug trafficking syndicate.
This operation resulted in the arrest of four members and the seizure of 8 kilograms of methamphetamine and 7.60 kilograms of “Loud,” a potent synthetic strain of cannabis imported from South Africa.
The bust was initiated when an airport official was intercepted with a backpack and a bag containing the illicit substances at the departure hall of Terminal 1 on May 21.
A follow-up operation at Ajao Estate in Lagos led to the arrest of two more syndicate members, Chris Nwadozie and Chinedu Nwaosu. Another member working within the airport system was apprehended on May 25.
Further Arrests and Seizures Nationwide
NDLEA operatives at the NAHCO export shed of Lagos airport arrested Sonubi Mariam Abiodun, a freight agent, on May 22. She was caught attempting to export 8 parcels of cocaine weighing 2 kilograms, concealed in paint buckets containing shea butter destined for the United Kingdom.
In Lagos, at Igbo Elerin in Ojo local government area, officers arrested Odumegwu Obijofor for producing and distributing “skuchies,” a mixture of black currant and illicit drugs. They recovered 2,480 liters of this New Psychoactive Substance (NPS) from his clandestine factory.
In Cross River state, NDLEA operatives arrested Ogar Emmanuel with 2.5 kilograms of cannabis at Ukpada Utugwan village. They also seized 29 sacks of cannabis weighing 290 kilograms from a warehouse belonging to another suspect, Usani Ikpi, who is currently at large.
In Katsina state, three suspects—Sa’adu Sule, 23; Mukhtar Nura, 23; and Hamza Nura, 18—were arrested on May 24 at Jabiri Funtua with 129 blocks of cannabis weighing 70 kilograms.
In Abuja, five suspects, including Ezekiel Munda, 30, and Sule Mustapha, 21, were apprehended on May 23 during raids at Karu Abattoir, Jikwoyi, and Tora Bora hill areas. Officers recovered 95.01 kilograms of cannabis and various quantities of opioids.
In Edo state, NDLEA arrested a physically challenged notorious drug dealer, Zekere Sufianu, 45, in Auchi town on May 22. He was found with 751 grams of Loud, 178 grams of tramadol, and swinol pills.
WADA Advocacy Campaign
The NDLEA’s War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) advocacy campaign continued across various states. Lectures and sensitization efforts were conducted in schools and communities in Osun, Oyo, Kaduna, Gombe, Ogun, Anambra, and Edo states.
NDLEA Chairman/Chief Executive Officer, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Retd), commended the agency’s officers for their efforts over the past week and encouraged continued vigilance in the nationwide campaign against drug abuse.
