NDLEA uncovers cocaine in deodorant cans, lip gloss tubes at Lagos airport

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) says its operatives have arrested one Onyeka Madukolu for alleged possession of cocaine.

In a statement issued on Sunday, Femi Babafemi, NDLEA spokesperson, said the cocaine weighed 5.90kg and was hidden inside cans of deodorant and tubes of lip gloss.

He said Madukolu is an ex-convict who had spent seven years in prison for drug trafficking offences in Ethiopia.

“Onyeka, who was sentenced to seven years imprisonment in Ethiopia for drug trafficking offences and released from prison in 2020, was again arrested on Friday, 16th September, 2022, at the Lagos airport on his return from Sao Paulo, Brazil via Addis Ababa on an Ethiopian Airlines flight,” Babafemi said.

“A search of his luggage revealed he had concealed 5.90kg cocaine inside cans of deodorants and female lip gloss. During preliminary interview, he claimed to have gone into the drug business to raise fresh capital to start a legitimate business after his release from Ethiopian prison in 2020.

“The father of two kids, one each from a Nigerian woman and a Brazilian lady, said he was into motor spare parts business before going into the criminal trade.

“The 44-year-old indigene of Awka North Local Government Area of Anambra State said he was expecting to be paid N2 million on successful delivery of the illicit drug in Nigeria.”

Babafemi also said one Chukwu Kingsley was arrested with “11,460 tablets of tramadol 225mg with a gross weight of 5.7 kilograms and 39 bottles of codeine of syrup” on his way to Rome on Tuesday.

In another development, the spokesperson said one Qasim Ademola was arrested with 26,600 bottles of psychoactive substance, popularly called ‘Akuskura’ on Thursday along Zaria-Kano road.

Babafemi further said a vehicle conveying arms was intercepted on Saturday along the Okene-Abuja expressway.

“In Kogi state, operatives on patrol along Okene-Abuja expressway on Saturday, 17th Sept. intercepted a J5 vehicle coming from Onitsha en route Kaduna-Zaria with 18 pieces of pump action rifles and 1,300 cartridges, while the two suspects conveying the arms and ammunition, Chukwudi Aronu, 51, and Shuaibu Gambo, 23, were arrested,” the statement reads.

“Another suspect, Anthony Agada, 37, conveying 1,000 cartridges, was equally nabbed in a bus coming from Onitsha to Abuja same day, while 1,404 bottles of codeine syrup and 2,040 ampoules of pentazocine injection were seized from another vehicle coming from Onitsha en route Sokoto, with the receiver, Stanley Raymond, 39, and the sender, Shadrack Ifediora, 46, arrested in follow-up operations in Sokoto and Anambra, respectively.

“In Kaduna, a drug dealer, Mohammed Mustapha Dalhatu, a.k.a. Dawa, was arrested at Sabon Gari Zaria with eight bags of cannabis sativa weighing 67kg, and another Maikudi Hassan was arrested at Gubuci village of Ikara LGA with five bags of cannabis weighing 54.2kg.

“On Thursday, 15th Sept, operatives also arrested Mary Ugwu and Hawwa Idi, at Anchau town, Kubau LGA with 721 ampoules of pentazocine injection; 37,000 tablets of exol-5, and nine ampoules of diazepam injection as well as 6.8kg of rubber solution.

“In Edo, operatives recovered 285kg cannabis in two raids at Okpuje, Owan West LGA, on Friday, 16th Sept, while in Lagos, 972.5kg of the same substance was recovered from an electronic shop at Alaba international market and one of the suspects, Mrs. Ebere Aja, 38, was arrested.

“No less than 335.1kg of cannabis was also seized in a raid at Kwanar Kundum area of Bauchi town, with two suspects, Usman Garba and Najib Ibrahim, arrested.”

Buba Marwa, NDLEA chairman, commended the officers of the agency for their “resilience”, and ordered the Kogi command to hand over the arms and ammunition seized to the police for further investigation.