NDLEA Intercepts Cocaine Hidden in Food Flasks, Arrests Fashion Designer, Others in Nationwide Crackdown
Oru Leonard
Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have recorded major successes in ongoing nationwide operations, intercepting illicit drugs concealed in food flasks and snack packs, while arresting multiple suspects across several states.
At the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos, NDLEA officers uncovered 12 parcels of cocaine weighing 2.80kg hidden in the false bottoms of food flasks. The illicit consignment was bound for the United Kingdom via a Virgin Atlantic flight.
The seizure, made on April 9 at the export shed, led to the arrest of two cargo agents, Ama Obinna Ufeim, 33, and Ogabi Monday Akorede, 39. Further investigation identified a 52-year-old freight forwarder, Agoro Tajudeen Moninuola, as the sender. He was subsequently arrested in a follow-up operation.
In a related development, NDLEA operatives at the import shed of the Lagos airport intercepted 2.90kg of “Loud,” a potent strain of cannabis, concealed in snack packs arriving from the United States aboard a Delta Air Lines flight on April 8.
Two clearing agents were initially apprehended, leading to the arrest of the consignee, Saheed Adeshina Adegoke, a 29-year-old fashion designer, at his residence in Ogba, Lagos.
Elsewhere, along the Kaduna–Zaria highway, NDLEA operatives intercepted a cement-laden trailer carrying 847kg of skunk cannabis. The driver, Umar Garba Haruna, 33, was taken into custody.
In Cross River State, a joint operation involving NDLEA officers and security personnel led to the destruction of 15,000kg of cannabis cultivated on six hectares of farmland in Uwet community, Akamkpa Local Government Area. A suspect, Alice Sunday Udoh, 53, was arrested, while 119kg of the substance was recovered.
Similarly, in Edo State, operatives raided a cannabis farm in Ovia North East LGA, destroying 2,281.43kg of skunk and arresting three suspects. Additional arrests were made in Delta State, where over 87kg of cannabis and seeds were seized.
In Lagos, NDLEA operatives arrested two suspects along the Mile 2–Badagry expressway while transporting 11,900 capsules of tramadol and 400 ampoules of phenobarbital injection to Ghana. Another raid on a building in Lagos Island yielded 95.8kg of skunk.
Beyond enforcement, the agency sustained its War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) campaign through sensitization programmes in schools and communities across Niger, Cross River, Kogi, Katsina, Kano, and Lagos states.
Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Mohamed Buba Marwa, commended officers across various commands for maintaining a balance between drug supply reduction and preventive education, urging them to sustain the momentum in the fight against illicit drugs nationwide.
