NDLEA intercept UK, Italy, Turkey, Qatar-bound cocaine, Meth consignments in Lagos, arrest suspects in Abuja hotel

Eric Patrick 

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency has arrested two suspects in connection with illicit consignment in Abuja.

Operatives of the Agency raided a hotel room at the Federal Housing Authority estate in Lugbe, Abuja, where they seized the consignments and took the suspects into custody.

This was made known in a statement by the NDLEA's Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, and shared on the Agency's X.com handle on Sunday.

According to the statement, the arrest was made possible by credible intelligence gathered by NDLEA officers from the Directorate of Operations and General Investigation (DOGI) and the FCT Command of the Agency.

The agency recovered 1.8kg of methamphetamine from two suspects, Omeh Uchenna Jude and Anene Valentine Chigozie, who were planning to travel with the drug to Qatar.

The statement read in part, "Following credible intelligence, NDLEA officers of the Directorate of Operations and General Investigation, DOGI, and their counterparts from the FCT Command of the Agency on Friday 15th November raided a hotel room at the Federal Housing Authority estate, Lugbe, Abuja, where they arrested two suspects: Omeh Uchenna Jude, 36, and Anene Valentine Chigozie, 34.

“Recovered from them was 1.8kg methamphetamine, which they were preparing to travel with to Qatar.

"Attempts by drug syndicates to export large consignments of cocaine, methamphetamine and opioids through the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, MMIA, Ikeja Lagos and the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, NAIA, Abuja to the United Kingdom, Italy, Turkey and Qatar have been thwarted by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, who in series of intelligence led operations recovered the illicit drugs and arrested the masterminds.

"A total of 13 parcels of cocaine weighing 4.40kg cocaine going to the United Kingdom via Frankfurt on a Lufthansa Airlines flight were intercepted by NDLEA officers at the export shed of the Lagos airport on 5th November 2024 while a businessman linked to the consignment, Ekeocha Anayo Nelson, was tracked and arrested on 8th November.

"The bid by another businessman, Adegbite Solomon (aka Obama) to export 7,800 pills of tramadol, 180 tablets of rohypnol, and 60 bottles of codeine to Italy was also foiled at the departure hall of the Lagos airport on Monday 11th November when NDLEA operatives arrested him after recovering the opioids concealed in food and other items while attempting to board an Ethiopian Airlines flight to Italy.

“He claimed to have travelled to Europe through the Mediterranean Sea and earned a living as a street beggar before delving into logistics business.

"Also related is the arrest of another businessman, Anoke Kingsley Roomy with 1,100 pills of tramadol 225mg hidden in his luggage while attempting to board his Ethiopian Airlines flight going to Istanbul, Turkey at the terminal 1 of the Lagos airport on Friday 15th November.

"Another suspect, Akande Moruf Olasunkanmi, was arrested with 1.8kg methamphetamine by operatives of a Special Operations Unit in NDLEA at his 9 Durojaiye street, Lawanson area of Surulere, Lagos home after weeks of intelligence and surveillance.”

In a separate operation, the agency disclosed that officers of an NDLEA task force on Saturday, November 16, foiled the attempt by a trans-border trafficker, Emmanuel Okechukwu Okeke to smuggle 50,000 pills of tramadol 225mg from Ghana into Lagos.

It read, “The pills were concealed in the body compartments of a Toyota Hummer Bus belonging to GUO Transport Company, driven by the suspect. The vehicle was intercepted at Ijanikin area of the Lagos-Badagry expressway while coming from Ghana.

"In Edo state, not less than 997kg cannabis was recovered during raids in parts of the state. While 680kg cannabis and a Sienna bus marked FST-320 AE were seized at a bush path to Oghada forest in Oghada, Orhionmwan LGA, 180.5kg of same substance was recovered from a suspect, Cecilia Ibe, 31, at Ofosu forest, Ovia South West LGA and 136.5kg evacuated from a building in Otuo community, Owan East LGA on Thursday 14th November.

"A suspect, Ifejimagha Chinonso was on Wednesday 13th November nabbed with 88.3kg cannabis by NDLEA operatives on patrol along the Lagos-Ibadan expressway while personnel of Kano Command of the Agency on Friday 15th November arrested Ahmed Goni, 30, at Gadar Tamburawa, Kano- Zaria road where they recovered from him 65,730 capsules of tramadol.

"In Kwara state, NDLEA operatives arrested a suspect Adio Sulaiman with 120.8kg cannabis and some litres of codeine at Gaa Odota in Ilorin West LGA, while Kelechi Obichere, 42, was nabbed with 75kg cannabis at Eziobodo, Owerri West LGA, Imo state on Thursday 14th November.”

“A total of 563.74 kilograms of same psychoactive substance were recovered from a 60-year-old suspect Anthony Anakabi, following his arrest at Iyalode, Iyana church area of Ibadan, the Oyo state capital."