NDLEA Arrests Ugandan Woman With 1.15kg Cocaine After Church Crusade

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested a 34-year-old Ugandan woman, Farida Nansubuga, with 1.15 kilogrammes of cocaine concealed around her pelvic region after attending a church crusade in Lagos State.

The suspect was arrested on Tuesday, November 3, at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Ikeja, while attempting to board a flight to Uganda.

The NDLEA said Nansubuga had travelled to Nigeria on October 29 with members of her church for a prayer session at the Synagogue Church of All Nations (SCOAN), in the Ikotun-Egbe area of Lagos.

However, while other members of her delegation returned to Uganda after the spiritual programme, she stayed behind to collect a consignment of cocaine allegedly arranged by a friend.

In a statement issued on Sunday, the Director, Media and Advocacy, NDLEA Headquarters, Abuja, Femi Babafemi, said operatives intercepted the suspect during a joint passenger screening exercise with aviation security personnel at Terminal 2 of the airport.

A body search raised suspicion of a substance concealed around her pelvic region, prompting officers to take her to a designated private search room for further examination.

The search led to the recovery of 87 wraps of cocaine weighing 1.15 kilogrammes, which had been strapped around her pelvic region and secured beneath two layers of underwear.

During preliminary interrogation, Nansubuga reportedly told investigators that she stayed behind after the prayer session to collect the drugs on behalf of a friend identified simply as Joy, who resides in Uganda.

She said the friend had linked her with a contact in Nigeria, who arranged a vehicle to take her to a hotel on the morning of her departure.

According to the agency, the suspect claimed that the man handed her the cocaine at the hotel and instructed her to conceal it beneath her clothing to evade security checks at the airport.

Although no specific payment was agreed, she reportedly expected to receive at least $1,000 after successfully delivering the consignment.

In another operation at the Lagos airport, NDLEA operatives intercepted 750,000 tablets of Tapentadol 250mg, weighing 526 kilogrammes and valued at N900 million.

The opioid shipment arrived from Ahmedabad, India, aboard an Ethiopian Airlines flight on November 3 and was declared as Paracetamol 500mg tablets.

The consignment comprised 11 cartons packed inside two wooden structures. Following suspicions over the declaration, officers placed it under surveillance before conducting a joint examination with the Nigeria Customs Service and other agencies on November 6.

The examination revealed that 10 cartons contained the opioid tablets, while only one contained paracetamol tablets used as cover.

The agency also intercepted 32 parcels of Loud, a strain of cannabis weighing 16.15 kilogrammes, concealed inside two wooden sofas in a consolidated cargo from Houston, Texas, United States.

The shipment arrived aboard a Turkish Airlines flight on November 4. A freight agent, Ibrahim Abdulwaheed Adewale, who presented himself to clear the consignment, was arrested.

A follow-up operation on November 6 led to the arrest of a 34-year-old caterer from Ibadan, Oyo State, Adeoye Sarafa Ojo, who came to collect the package.

He reportedly told investigators that a friend, Taiwo Anuoluwapo Olusegun, had sent him.

In a separate operation, NDLEA operatives dismantled a syndicate allegedly involved in importing chemicals used in the production of Colorado, a synthetic cannabis, from the United Kingdom.

The operation followed the interception of nine parcels concealed in two cartons of snacks labelled “Michael Tea Guy” in a consolidated cargo that arrived aboard an Air Peace flight on October 23.

Two parcels contained 1.20 kilogrammes of cannabis, while forensic analysis identified the contents of the remaining seven as chemicals used in producing synthetic cannabis.

A 51-year-old freight agent, Afolabi Abiodun Wale, was arrested while attempting to clear the consignment.

Two additional cartons addressed to the same recipient later arrived from the UK aboard an Allied Air flight.

A sting operation conducted between October 26 and 28 led to the arrest of another 51-year-old suspect, Okwuite Benjamin Ojone, when he attempted to take delivery of the cartons.

A search uncovered three parcels weighing 3.30 kilogrammes concealed in detergent packs and 11 plastic bottles containing mostly liquid substances weighing 16.25 kilogrammes.

The agency said the additional seizures brought the total quantity of cannabis and synthetic cannabis chemicals recovered from the operation to 29.85 kilogrammes.

At courier companies in Lagos, operatives also intercepted 46 blocks of cannabis weighing 22.2 kilogrammes in two cartons destined for the United Kingdom on November 3.

Earlier, on October 30, officers intercepted 296 tablets of Swinol destined for Australia from Lagos.

Three other tramadol shipments heading to the UK were intercepted. They included 20 capsules from Benin City and 96 capsules from Sapele, Delta State, concealed in vitamin C containers, as well as 600 tablets of Tramadol 225mg from Asaba hidden inside female headwear.

In Lagos, operatives arrested a 32-year-old man, Abubakar Ali, at Marine Beach, Apapa, on November 6, following the discovery of a drug store allegedly constructed inside the sitting room of his apartment.

Items recovered included 1.06 kilogrammes of Tramadol 250mg, 1.27 kilogrammes of Tramadol 225mg, 400 grammes of pregabalin capsules, 355 grammes of diazepam, 200 millilitres of codeine and 6.07 kilogrammes of cannabis.

The agency also recorded significant seizures and arrests in Ondo, Ekiti, Edo, Taraba, Enugu and Delta states.

In Ondo State, operatives recovered 148 bags of cannabis weighing 1,818 kilogrammes during a raid on Odofin Road, Uso, on November 6.

They also destroyed a one-hectare cannabis plantation in Board Forest, recovering 242 kilogrammes of the substance and arresting a 36-year-old suspect, Itoro Linus Akpan.

In neighbouring Ekiti State, a 53-year-old man, Agbo Paul Peter, was arrested at Osin Forest, Osin-Ekiti, on November 5, with 216 kilogrammes of cannabis and cannabis seeds.

In Edo State, officers intercepted a Volkswagen Golf car conveying 19 bags of cannabis weighing 201 kilogrammes along Auchi-Ibillo Road in Akoko-Edo Local Government Area.

The operation led to the arrest of the driver, Abdulmumid Isah, 39, and a passenger, Danako Godwin, 25.

Three other suspects were arrested during a raid on a drug joint along Ihama Road, GRA, Benin City, where officers recovered quantities of Colorado, Loud and cannabis.

The suspects were identified as Emmanuel Sunday, 25; Samuel Bala, 31; and Loveth Momodu, 20.

In Taraba State, operatives at the NDLEA checkpoint in Lankaviri, Yorro Local Government Area, arrested three suspects within two days and recovered 283 blocks of compressed cannabis weighing 226.255 kilogrammes.

The arrests involved Ibrahim Abdullahi, 45, and Kabiru Usman, 25, on November 5, and Babangida Babayo, 32, on November 6.

In Enugu State, a 57-year-old man, Celestine Uzochukwu Ejiakor, was arrested at Eke Obinagu checkpoint on November 3 with 44 blocks of cannabis weighing 22.5 kilogrammes.

Another suspect, Godwin Shaapera, 40, was arrested at Ugwuoba checkpoint with 24,000 capsules of Tramadol weighing 13.4 kilogrammes and 697 grammes of ketamine.

In Delta State, operatives arrested Edugua Othuke, 30, at Ozoro, Isoko North Local Government Area, on October 31, with 10.54 kilogrammes of skunk, 9.4 kilogrammes of cannabis seeds and 4.3 grammes of methamphetamine.

Another suspect, Akpofure Tobore, 34, was arrested at Upper Agbarho, Ughelli, on November 4, with quantities of skunk, tramadol, rohypnol and laughing gas.

Meanwhile, the agency said its commands across the country sustained public enlightenment campaigns under its War Against Drug Abuse initiative.

The campaigns included lectures for students and staff of St. Andrew Basic School, Oyo; Government Technical College, Abakaliki, Ebonyi State; Sa’ad College, Kano; and Inland Girls Secondary School, Onitsha, Anambra State.

The NDLEA Zone 1 Command also visited the Emir of Bauchi, Alhaji Rilwanu Sulaiman Adamu, at his palace to seek support for the anti-drug campaign.

The Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the agency, Brig.-Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd.), commended officers of the commands involved in the operations for the arrests and seizures.

Marwa described the Ugandan woman’s arrest as a reminder of the lengths drug trafficking networks would go to recruit couriers, including exploiting religious activities and spiritual journeys.

He urged officers across the agency’s commands to sustain efforts to tackle both the supply and demand for illicit drugs.