NDLEA arrests Lagos airport cleaner ‘who leads drug syndicate’

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) says it has arrested Ohiagu Sunday, a cleaner at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Ikeja, Lagos.

The agency alleged that Sunday leads a drug syndicate at the international wing of the airport.

Femi Babafemi, NDLEA director of media and advocacy, said the suspect was nabbed on Tuesday following the arrest of an intending passenger on an Air Peace flight to Dubai, UAE.

Babafemi said the passenger named, Obinna Osita, was arrested with three bags, two of which contained eight blocks of cannabis sativa weighing 4.25kg and concealed in cassava product, garri and crayfish.

He said one other member of the airport syndicate, who worked with Sunday, has also been arrested, while operatives were trailing another suspect.

“Investigations revealed that a Dubai-based drug dealer recruited Obinna, a 42-year-old native of Oyi LGA, Anambra, to traffic the drugs,” Babafemi said in a statement.

“And equally contracted Ohiagu, a 34-year-old airport cleaner from Orlu west LGA of Imo, to create access for the unhindered passage of the trafficker.

“The drug syndicate bust, which is the first drug arrest at the new terminal of the MMIA, comes on the heels of the seizure of a consignment of bottles of Viju and fearless energy drinks.

“They were used to conceal skunk for export to Dubai, UAE through the NAHCO export shed on Monday, August 15.”

Babafemi said a freight agent had already been arrested in connection with the seizure and investigations are still ongoing.