The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has recorded a major breakthrough in its nationwide offensive against drug trafficking, with the arrest of a 62-year-old grandmother at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, and the seizure of large quantities of illicit drugs across several states.
The suspect, Anetor Gloria Ubong, a realtor based in Richmond, Texas, who holds both Nigerian and United States passports, was arrested on Wednesday, October 21, upon arrival aboard a United Airlines flight from Houston. A search of her two checked-in boxes uncovered 18 parcels of Loud, a synthetic strain of cannabis, weighing 9.45kg and concealed with gift wrapping paper.
NDLEA officers said Ubong claimed the box was delivered to her residence in the US by her daughter and her daughter’s future brother-in-law for onward delivery in Nigeria to her daughter’s fiancé, identified as Jibola. She is currently in custody as investigations continue.
In a separate operation in Lagos, operatives of the Agency’s Special Operations Unit on Friday, October 23, arrested one Eletu Rasheedat, 41, at Eti-Osa, where they recovered 5,820 pills of Diazepam, 780 tablets of Tramadol, 3.7kg of Skunk and 230.25 litres of Skuchies, a cocktail of hard drugs.
The Agency also made significant seizures in Delta State, where Peter Ugochukwu, 51, was arrested in Warri with a huge cache of pharmaceutical opioids including 29,350 capsules of Tramadol, 6,620 tablets of Tramadol 200mg, 4,116 bottles of Codeine syrup, 11,340 tablets of Rohypnol, 3,500 tablets of Diazepam and hundreds of ampoules of Pentazocine and Diazepam injections. In another operation at Enhere Junction, Warri, a 46-year-old physically challenged woman, Helen Bakporo Samson, was nabbed on Monday, October 19, with 6.0kg of Skunk.
In Oyo State, operatives arrested Fajana Dada Oluwaseyi, 41, on Monday, October 19, at Adamasingba, Ibadan, after he had earlier escaped arrest when officers seized 197.8kg of Cannabis Sativa from his house on September 16.
Raids in the northern region also yielded results. In Kano, Murtala Lawan, 30, was arrested at Gerawa on Thursday, October 22, with 159 blocks of Cannabis weighing 97.2kg, while in Taraba, Raiyanu Misa, 39, was nabbed at Lankaviri checkpoint, Yorro LGA, with 95 blocks of compressed Cannabis weighing 60.175kg. In Bauchi, Jamilu Mustapha, alias Last Card, 45, was arrested at Nasaru Town, Ningi LGA, with 379kg of Cannabis packed in seven jumbo sacks, and in Niger State, Emmanuel Ekene, 26, was arrested on Sabo-Kainji Road with 64,000 pills of Tramadol and Diazepam.
The Agency also disrupted cannabis cultivation in the Southwest and South-South. In Ondo State, officers raided a farm at Board-Ala, Akure South, on Tuesday, October 20, recovering 56 bags of Cannabis weighing 583kg, while in Edo State, two farms in Ugbada Forest, Uzebba, Owan West LGA, with an estimated yield of 2,023.14kg, were destroyed on Sunday, October 18. About 450kg of processed Cannabis was burnt at the site while 97kg was taken as exhibit, and one Mary Edokhai, 42, was arrested at Ewe community with 35kg of the substance.
While commending the officers and men of MMIA, and other Commands for their vigilance, diligence, professionalism and intelligence-driven approach to the various successful operations, Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (rtd) urged them and their colleagues across the country to sustain the tempo of the war against drug trafficking and substance abuse
