The Nation

Ex-beauty queen wanted for ‘drug trafficking’ surrenders to NDLEA

September 1, 2024 3:41 pm

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) says Oluwadamilola Aderinoye, a former Miss Commonwealth Nigeria wanted for alleged involvement in illicit drug activities, has surrendered herself at the agency’s Lagos command.

Aderinoye was declared wanted in January by the agency following her escape from her Lekki residence in Lagos during a raid by NDLEA operatives.

In a statement on Sunday, Femi Babafemi, NDLEA spokesperson, said during the search of Aderinoye’s home, conducted in the presence of estate officials, 606 grams of Canadian loud, a synthetic strain of cannabis, an electronic weighing scale, large quantities of drugs packing plastics, and other items were recovered.

“Wanted ex-beauty queen, Ms. Aderinoye Queen Christmas, also known as Ms. Queen Oluwadamilola Aderinoye, has surrendered to the Lagos Command of the agency after about eight months in hiding,” the statement said.

“She was declared wanted by the agency in January after she escaped from her Lekki, Lagos residence when NDLEA operatives raided her apartment at the Oral 3state, Lekki, on Wednesday, January 24, following credible intelligence that she deals in illicit substances.

“The suspect was Miss Commonwealth Nigeria Culture 2015/2016 and the founder of Queen Christmas Foundation. Recovered from her home during the search witnessed by the estate officials include 606 gramm3s of Canadian Loud, a synthetic strain of cannabis, an electronic weighing scale, large quantities of drugs packing plastics, a black RAV 4 SUV marked Lagos KSF 872 GQ, and her picture frame among others.

“The suspect, who claimed she had been hiding in Akure, Ondo State since January when she escaped arrest in Lekki Lagos however, surrendered to the agency on Wednesday, August 28.”

Aderinoye held the title of Miss Commonwealth Nigeria Culture for the pageant’s 2015/2016 edition. She is the founder of the Queen Christmas Foundation.

‘NDLEA INTERCEPTS 31M PILLS, BOTTLES OF OPIOIDS WORTH N17.9BN’

The NDLEA said its operatives intercepted various quantities of tramadol pills and codeine-based syrup at the Port Harcourt port complex, Onne in Rivers state, and Tincan seaport in Lagos.

The NDLEA spokesperson said seizures were made after intelligence on shipments from India prompted a thorough examination of containers with Customs and other security agencies.

“The breakdown of the seizures showed that 350,000 bottles of codeine-based syrup were recovered from two containers at Tincan port in Lagos on August 29 and 30, 2024,” Babafemi said.

“Operatives of the agency intercepted a total of 31,124, 600 pills of tramadol 225mg and bottles of codeine-based syrup worth over N17, 932, 200, 000.00 in street value at the Port Harcourt Port Complex, Onne, Rivers state and Tincan seaport in Lagos.

“Each of the two containers had 175,000 bottles of the opioid. At the Port Harcourt Port Complex, Onne, NDLEA operatives equally intercepted a total of 447 cartons of tramadol 225mg containing 29 840,000 pills of the opioid as well as 380,000 bottles of codeine syrup from three containers on Thursday, August 29.

“The tramadol shipments came under different brand names such as Royal Tapetadol, Carisoprodol 225mg and Royal Tramadol Hydrochloride 225mg.”

Babafemi added that at the end of the exercise, a total of 3,030 cartons of codeine syrup containing 554,600 bottles of the opioid, were recovered from them.

“This brings the total bottles of codeine seized at Onne, Rivers and Tincan in Lagos to 1,284,600 bottles worth N8,992,200,000.00 in street value while the combined seizure of tramadol stood at 29,840,000 pills valued at N8,940,000,000.00”, he said.

Also, the NDLEA spokesperson said Eze Don, a suspect, was arrested at Port Harcourt International Airport on August 27th while attempting to board a flight with 1,490 tramadol pills concealed as cosmetics.

The spokesperson added the suspect’s attempt to bribe officers to evade arrest was unsuccessful, and he was taken into custody with the seized tramadol pills.

He said 1,122kg of cannabis was seized from one Mustapha Ibrahim in Ajah, Lagos, on August 26, with an additional 816kg recovered from the same location, linked to a suspect at large.

Babafemi also disclosed seizures in Niger and Bauchi states, which yielded tramadol, codeine syrup, exol-5 tablets, and 246.4kg of cannabis concealed in a bus compartment.