NDLEA arrests woman for ‘planting drugs on travellers’, uncovers cannabis hidden in soap

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) says its operatives have arrested one Mujidat Opoola for allegedly planting cannabis on two passengers at the Lagos airport.

In a statement issued on Sunday, Femi Babafemi, NDLEA spokesman, said the cannabis was concealed in bowls containing “black soap and sponge”.

Babafemi said NDLEA operatives intercepted Mujidat and two Oman-bound passengers at the Murtala Muhammad International Airport (MMIA).

“Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, have arrested a 27-year-old drug queen, Mrs. Opoola Mujidat, for planting drugs concealed in fetish bowls, containing scary native black soap and sponge on two Oman-bound male passengers at the departure hall of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, MMIA, Lagos,” the statement reads.

“The passengers, Raji Babatunde Kazeem and Akinbobola Omoniyi, were travelling together to Oman, Middle East, on Ethiopian Airlines flight on Monday, 11th July, when they were intercepted by NDLEA operatives at the airport.

“A search of their luggage revealed wraps of cannabis sativa hidden in bowls of native black soap and sponge packed into a bag containing food items, which Kazeem was carrying.

“Both Kazeem and Omoniyi immediately alerted the anti-narcotic officers that Mujidat, who was still within the vicinity, gave the bag containing the illicit substance to them at the airport. She was promptly arrested. The lady accepted responsibility and stated that she brought the luggage for the two passengers to give to her husband in Oman.

“Mujidat, who hails from Oyo East LGA in Oyo State, confessed during preliminary interview that the bag containing the food items were packed by her with different items, including the black soap used to conceal the illicit substance.”

The NDLEA spokesman added that operatives arrested other suspects in separate raids across the country.

“In Nasarawa state, NDLEA operatives have intercepted over 91 jumbo bags of cannabis weighing 1,029.5kg, concealed in a truck mounted natural gas tank by Doma road, around 500 Housing Estate, Lafia,” the statement reads.

“A 52-year-old suspect, Ernest Ojieh, was arrested in connection with the seizure on Saturday 9th July.

“This was barely four days after operatives at Agwan Doka, Lafia, seized 38 big bags of the same substance with a total weight of 367kg. Two suspects, Abdullahi Iliyasu, 30, and Bashir Mohammed, 29, were arrested over the seizure.

“In Kaduna and Adamawa, over half a million pills of pharmaceutical opioids were seized and suspects arrested in raid operations across the two states. In Kaduna alone, 294,400 pills of tramadol and diazepam were seized from Shaban Nasir, Aminu Usman and Shamsudeen Hussaini, along Abuja-Kaduna express road, as well as Sa’idu Yahaya and Umar Abubakar, during a follow-up operation in Kano, all on Friday 15th July.

“In the same vein, over 227,000 different grades of tramadol tablets were seized during the raid of a patent medicine store at Sabon Layi, close to Mubi main market, Mubi North LGA, Adamawa State on Sunday 3rd July.

“Recovered from the store where a suspect, Nasiru Abubakar, 27, was arrested include tramadol 250mg (aka Boko Haram); royal tramadol 225mg (aka Vectra); tramaking tramadol 225mg (aka Jan Dara); tramadol 200mg (aka Dogari); tramadol 100mg (aka Green), among others. 

“Another suspect, Idris Adamu, 25, was also arrested in a shoe shop in the same Sabon Layi, where over 5,000 tablets of Tramadol 225mg were recovered from him.”

Commending the officers for their efforts, Buba Marwa, NDLEA chairman, warned drug cartels to desist from crime as no matter the strategies devised to conceal illicit drugs, the agency “will always catch up with them”.