Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency
(NDLEA) have arrested a 37-year-old ex-convict, Nwobodo Chidiebere Basil,
alongside three cargo agents over an attempt to export cocaine concealed in
liquid starch sachets to the United Kingdom.
The arrests followed the seizure of 75 parcels of
cocaine weighing 1.50 kilograms at the export shed of the Murtala Muhammed
International Airport (MMIA), Ikeja, Lagos.
Disclosing this in a statement on Sunday, NDLEA
spokesman Femi Babafemi said the three cargo agents — Jubrin Firdausi Hassana,
Kuku Daniel Oluwasegun and Igwe Chioma Jane — were apprehended on December 20
during the initial interception of the consignment.
Subsequent investigations led to the arrest of Nwobodo
the following day at a relaxation centre in Ikeja.
Babafemi described Nwobodo as a “notorious drug
trafficker,” noting that he had previously been convicted in 2023 for
trafficking 30.10 kilograms of methamphetamine concealed in powdered custard
containers and destined for London.
“He was arraigned before the Federal High Court in
charge number FHC/L/337C/2023, convicted and sentenced to five years
imprisonment with an option of a ?7 million fine and one month of community
service, effective December 4, 2023. He paid the fine and soon returned to the
same criminal activity,” Babafemi said.
In a related operation, NDLEA operatives in Gombe
State arrested a 65-year-old driver, Sada’u Mohammed, along the Gombe–Biu
highway while conveying 300 ampoules of pentazocine injection, 27,900 pills of
tramadol and other opioids en route to Biu in Borno State.
Meanwhile, a 47-year-old businessman, Ignatius
Egbochie, also known as “Brown,” was arrested in Lagos in connection with an
earlier seizure of 26 kilograms of “loud,” a strain of cannabis, at the Tincan
seaport.
According to Babafemi, the cannabis consignment was
intercepted on December 10 during a joint container examination involving
NDLEA, Customs and other security agencies, while Egbochie was arrested in
Apapa on December 19 following a follow-up operation.
The NDLEA also recorded major breakthroughs across
several states between December 21 and 25, 2025, destroying drug warehouses and
seizing large quantities of cannabis in Ekiti, Edo, Cross River, Abuja, Lagos
and Taraba.
In Ekiti State, NDLEA operatives set ablaze cannabis
warehouses in Ara forest, Ara-Ekiti, and recovered 638 kilograms of skunk. In
Edo State, 1,205 blocks of compressed cannabis sativa weighing 883.1 kilograms
were recovered from three Toyota Camry vehicles intercepted along the
Igara–Auchi road.
In Cross River State, raids conducted at Agoi-Ibami
community in Yakurr Local Government Area led to the arrest of three suspects —
Freedom Jonah Akpama (27) with 671kg of skunk, David Itam David (30) with 89kg,
and Nelson Arikpo Osam (26) with 148kg.
Babafemi said the agency remains committed to
dismantling drug trafficking networks nationwide and preventing illicit
substances from reaching local and international markets.
Comments:
Leave a Reply