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Drug Trafficking; NDLEA Apprehends Uber driver, Two traffickers with cocaine at Lagos airport

Published

4 years ago

June 14, 2021

Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have arrested an Uber driver and two other traffickers with different quantities of cocaine at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, MMIA, Lagos.

The Sun Reports that the Uber driver, Lawal Tunde Rasheed, was arrested at the SAHCO export shed of MMIA, on June 8, 2021, when he brought a consignment from his client to a freight forwarder for export to Malabo in Equatorial Guinea. When the package was searched, 150grams of cocaine concealed inside two pieces of air freshener were discovered.

The Director, Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, in a statement, said a follow up operation the following day led to the arrest of Egbo Emmanuel Maduka, in his residence on Wednesday June 6. Investigations have, so far, confirmed that Egbo is behind the two seizures of 50grams of cocaine in hair attachment and another 150grams of cocaine concealed in air freshener, heading to Malabo.

The seizures were made on June 4 and 8, 2021, respectively. Also, on Friday, June 11, 2021, a male passenger, Udogwu James Johnson, on Qatar Airlines from GRU in Brazil, was arrested at D-arrival hall, MMIA, Lagos, with nine wraps of cocaine that weighed 300grams in his pants.

In a related development, a 27-year-old final year Petroleum Engineering student of Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University, Bauchi, Bauchi State, Ali Mohammed has been arrested with 3.032kg of cannabis sativa at a motor park in Iddo, Lagos, following a tip off, on Thursday June 10, 2021.

Under interrogation, Ali, who hails from Nguru, Yobe State, but brought up in Lagos, claimed that while on his way to the motor park in Iddo, from Obalende where he lives, he met an acquaintance, Ahmed, who, upon learning that he was traveling back to ATBU, Bauchi via Kano, implored him (the suspect) to help deliver a travel bag containing the seized 3.032kg of cannabis sativa to one Ugo who lives in Sabon gari, Kano.

Ahmed told the suspect that he would send Ugo’s phone number to him through SMS to facilitate the delivery of the consignment when he arrived at Kano.

The suspect, who admitted knowing that the bag contained drugs, however, denied receiving or being promised any form of gratification for agreeing to take the drugs to Kano.

Chairman/Chief Executive of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd), commended the MMIA and Lagos state Commands of the agency for the feats, while charging the officers and men of the two Commands to remain vigilant and intensify the ongoing offensive action against all drug cartels in their areas of responsibility.