NDLEA recovers cocaine hidden in bizman’s sandals at Lagos airport

In a significant drug enforcement operation, the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has made several notable arrests and seizures at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos, Nigeria. One of the most significant discoveries was the recovery of parcels of cocaine weighing 1.20 kilograms from a Spain-based businessman, Francis Akajiobi. Akajiobi had ingeniously concealed the cocaine in the soles of a pair of black sandals he was wearing while attempting to board a flight to Madrid.

According to a statement released by the NDLEA spokesperson, Femi Babafemi, Akajiobi confessed that he was planning to deliver the cocaine to his friend and neighbor in Spain in exchange for €5,000. The agency’s operatives intercepted him at the departure hall of Terminal 2 of the airport. This arrest highlights the continuous efforts of the NDLEA to combat drug trafficking and prevent the illegal flow of narcotics into and out of Nigeria.

In another operation, the NDLEA apprehended a suspect named Makinde Lekan in connection with the seizure of 99 parcels of Canadian Loud, a synthetic strain of cannabis. The total weight of the cannabis amounted to 51.60 kilograms. The contraband had arrived at the SAHCO Imports shed of the Lagos airport on a Turkish Airlines flight from Canada via Istanbul, Turkey. The arrest of Lekan underscores the agency’s commitment to intercepting drug shipments and disrupting the activities of drug syndicates.

Furthermore, the NDLEA successfully captured Chukwuemaka Obodozie, the alleged kingpin of a Lagos-Ghana tramadol syndicate. Tramadol is a highly addictive opioid pain medication commonly abused for its psychoactive effects. Obodozie was found in possession of 100,000 tablets of 225 mg tramadol upon his arrival from Ghana. This arrest signifies the agency’s determination to dismantle drug trafficking networks operating within and across the country’s borders.

Additionally, the NDLEA conducted raids in the Oriade Local Government Area of Osun State, leading to the arrest of 17 suspects involved in cannabis cultivation. The agency destroyed 31,250 kilograms of cannabis that was cultivated on 12.5 hectares of farmland. The operation also resulted in the recovery of 84 kilograms of processed cannabis sativa and a single barrel Dane gun. This successful operation demonstrates the agency’s commitment to eradicating illicit drug cultivation and production.

In separate incidents, the NDLEA intercepted an individual named Ubaida Aliyu in possession of 573 rounds of 7.60 live ammunition, which she claimed she was trying to deliver to bandits in Sokoto. The agency also arrested suspects Godwin Udochukwu and Alkasim Mikailu in connection with the seizures of 25,000 ampoules of Pentazocine injection and 37,880 ampoules of Diazepam injection, respectively