Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency have arrested a suspected drug trafficker, Egwuh Inya.
Inya, a building engineer, allegedly attempted to take delivery of illicit consignments concealed in pressure machines imported from South Africa.
A statement on Sunday by the NDLEA spokesperson, Femi Babafemi, said the 42-year-old Inya was arrested on December 2 at the Okeyson Motor Park, Enugu, when he showed up to collect three units of pressure machines containing parcels of Loud, a synthetic strain of cannabis, weighing 7.40 kilograms.
“The consignments had arrived at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos import shed on November 29, 2024.
“Following credible intelligence, officers of the MMIA Strategic Command of the agency had monitored the shipment as it passed through clearing processes up to a logistics company’s warehouse outside the airport, where it was to be collected by the consignee.
“The importer, however, changed the point of collection to Enugu at the last minute. As a result, the NDLEA operatives, in a follow-up operation in Enugu, arrested Inya when he showed up to collect the consignments,” the statement added.
Babafemi also revealed that no fewer than 511,000 pills of tramadol were recovered from a Siena vehicle at Hildi, along the Askira-Uba Road in Adamawa State by the NDLEA operatives on patrol in the early hours of Friday.
“The occupants of the vehicle made a detour upon sighting the NDLEA team and, after a distance, abandoned the vehicle with the consignments when they noticed the operatives were on their trail,” he added.
In Ekiti State, Babafemi said two suspects, Olanrewaju Alale, 48, and Babatunde Kayode Ijadahun, 55, were arrested along the Ise-Emure Road in a J5 bus marked EPE 958 XJ while transporting 108 jumbo bags of cannabis weighing 1,323 kilograms to Owo, Ondo State. They claimed the consignment was destined for the North for distribution.
“Another suspect, Adekunle Yusuf, 33, was nabbed by the NDLEA operatives with 704 kilograms of the same psychoactive substance concealed in white sacks on Friday, December 6, at Idere Road, Igboora, Oyo State,” Babafemi added.
In Lagos State, Babafemi said a 65-year-old grandmother identified as Bola Adeyemo was arrested with codeine-based syrup.
“In Lagos, a grandmother, 65-year-old Ramata Bola Adeyemo, was arrested by the NDLEA operatives on Friday, December 6, at 62 Odunfa Street, Lagos Island, where 20.6 litres of codeine-based syrup were recovered from her.
“Also arrested in Lagos was Alhaji Lawan Manga, who was picked up at Ogundana Street, Ikeja, on Thursday, December 5, with 4.7 kilograms of cannabis and 1.3 kilograms of tramadol recovered from him,” he said.
