- Agency Effects Multiple Arrests
By Abiola Olawale
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has confirmed the arrest of a 50-year-old businessman, Francis Akajiobi, who was allegedly attempting to smuggle 1.2 kilograms of cocaine to Spain.
The operatives of the NDLEA apprehended the suspects during a random search at Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos State.
This was made known in a statement issued by the Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi.
Babafemi, in the statement, said Akajiobi allegedly concealed the cocaine in the soles of his sandals.
The statement read in part: “A Spain-based businessman, 50-year-old Francis Akajiobi, has been arrested by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) at the departure hall of Terminal 2 of Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Ikeja Lagos, after parcels of cocaine weighing 1.2 kilograms were discovered in his pair of sandals while attempting to board his Royal Air Maroc flight to Madrid, Spain.
“The two parcels of cocaine were concealed in the soles of a pair of black sandals Akajiobi was wearing to board his flight when NDLEA operatives intercepted him on Thursday 25th July 2024. During his preliminary interview, he claimed the consignment was delivered to him at a bar in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, and was to deliver it to his friend and neighbour in Spain for a fee of Five Thousand Euros (€5,000) upon successful delivery to the recipient.”
Also, Babfemi revealed that another suspect identified as Makinde Sodiq Lekan, was arrested and a seizure of 99 packages of Canadian Loud, a synthetic cannabis strain was effected.
He revealed that the operatives of the agency seized the Canadian loud, which weighed 51.6 kg, at the Lagos airport’s SAHCO Imports shed via a Turkish Airlines flight from Canada, with a layover in Istanbul, Turkey.
Similarly, the statement revealed that operatives of a Special Operations Unit targeting opioid smuggling syndicates also arrested one Chukwuemeka Obodozie, a kingpin, on Sunday, 21st July.
Obodozie was said to have been arrested at the Cele bus stop along the Oshodi-Apapa express road in Lagos.
He was alleged to have had about 100,000 tablets of tramadol 225 mg in two bags during the arrest. The arrest followed five months of surveillance and occurred shortly after he arrived from Ghana via a transport company.
In a separate operation, he said NDLEA operatives destroyed a cannabis farm in Osun State, arresting 17 suspects and seizing 31,600 kilograms of cannabis.
The statement continued: “No fewer than 17 suspects were arrested on Friday 26th July when NDLEA operatives raided the Owena forest in Oriade LGA, Osun State, where they destroyed 31,250 kilograms of cannabis on 12.5 hectares of farmland, while 84 kg of processed cannabis sativa was recovered along with a single-barrel Dane gun.
]“Those arrested include Peter Osuya, 51; Zebron Ode, 46; Dogo Reuben Matthew, 35; Isaac Terna; Joseph David Lawrence, 27; Ugochukwu Victory, 24; Olamilekan Abolarin, 26; Dele Ayibo, 44; Ojo Moses, 21; Nini Ayila, 27; Msughve Clement, 23; Chuks Ogeneku, 40; Dada Aribo, 20; Uche Endurance, 30; Patrick Agba, 21; Osakwe Kennedy, 45; and Ojo Babatunde, 29.”
The agency also arrested a tramadol syndicate kingpin, Chukwuemeka Obodozie, in Lagos, and intercepted a supplier of bandits in Kaduna with 573 rounds of live ammunition.
In Kaduna State, NDLEA operatives who were conducting a stop-and-search patrol on the Kaduna-Zaria highway were said to have intercepted Ubaida Aliyu, a 32-year-old woman, on Saturday, 27th July. She was found in possession of 573 rounds of 7.60 mm live ammunition, which she claimed she was delivering to bandits in Sokoto.
