The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) says it has seized cocaine worth N4.4 billion naira at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos.

Femi Babafami, NDLEA spokesperson, disclosed the seizure in a statement on Sunday, detailing the agency’s operations in the last week.

According to Babafemi, the drug consignments were wrapped in nine polythene bags and hidden in waste collectors in the two rear lavatories of an Ethiopian Airlines flight ET900.

The spokesperson said they were recovered during the post-landing cabin cleaning, adding that the MMIA strategic command of the NDLEA was alerted about the strange objects.

The statement said the trafficking was an effort by members of an international drug syndicate that operates between Brazil, Ethiopia, and Nigeria to smuggle a total of 845 wraps of cocaine weighing 18.72 kg into Lagos.

“Investigations revealed that the seized drugs were conveyed from Brazil to Ethiopia through ingestion and excreted in Addis Ababa by a set of couriers while some other traffickers picked them up and attempted to smuggle them into Nigeria through the Lagos airport before their attempt was frustrated with the cooperation of the airline’s authorities and other airport stakeholders,” the statement reads.

Babafemi noted that the incident occurred on October 29.

He added that NDLEA officials also intercepted 754, 000 pills of tapentadol and acetaminophen 225mg worth N525 million in a targeted and watch-listed container from India at the Apapa seaport in Lagos.

The spokesperson said the agency’s officers, on October 28, countered attempts by some drug trafficking syndicates to export 2.928kg cocaine, cannabis, and tramadol concealed in body cream containers, and pieces of artwork to Australia, the United Arab Emirate (UAE), and the United Kingdom through some courier companies in Lagos

ARRESTS MADE IN FCT, KOGI, TARABA

Meanwhile, in the federal capital territory, the NDLEA said Mujahid Hamisu, a 24-year-old, was arrested with 147,000 pills of tramadol concealed in black nylon bags containing plumbing materials along Kwali-Gwagwalada Abuja expressway on his way from Onitsha, Anambra, on Saturday.

He said operatives caught one Seun Abimbola on the same day with 512 grams of methamphetamine during a raid operation at the Giri junction area of the FCT.

He said in Kogi, officers on patrol along Kabba- Obajana highway arrested Mercy Ameh, 28, in a commercial bus travelling from Lagos to Abuja with fake naira notes worth N4.3m after a search of her luggage.

In Taraba, Danlami Fakwa, 46, was arrested at Sabon Gari, Jalingo LGA with 49.795kg cannabis.

Adamawa, Katsina, Kaduna, Ondo, and Edo were also listed as states were arrests were made in the past week.

A student of the University of Port Harcourt (UNIPORT) has been handed a 14-year sentence for internet fraud.

The undergraduate, identified as Henry Nathaniel Ekanem, was convicted before the judge A. T. Mohammed during a federal high court sitting in Rivers state on Wednesday.

Ekanem was arraigned by the Port Harcourt zonal directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

The final-year student faced a seven-count charge bordering on obtaining money under false pretence and impersonation.

One of the counts reads:

“That you, Henry Nathaniel Ekanem on or about 17th September 2024, at Choba in Port Harcourt, Rivers state, within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, with intent to defraud, did obtain the sum of twenty-two United States of America dollars ($22) from Diana Roskov by fraudulently representing yourself as Coran Capsha, manager of the singer, Chris Stapleton, a pretence you knew to be false and thereby committed offence contrary to Section 1(1) (a) and punishable under Section 1(3) of the Advance Fee Fraud and other Fraud- Related Offences Act 2006.”

Ekanem pleaded guilty when the charges were read to him.

Given his plea, the prosecution counsel A. Abubakar tendered some documents that were admitted by the court and marked as exhibits.

He prayed the court to convict and sentence the defendant accordingly.

F. T. Fred-Boufini, counsel to the defendant, did not oppose the prayers by the prosecution.

She prayed the court to be merciful as the defendant was a first-time offender with no previous criminal records.

The judge convicted and sentenced the defendant to two years imprisonment on each of the seven counts or an option of a fine of N200,000 payable into the consolidated revenue account of the federal government.

The judge also ordered that all the phones recovered from the convict be forfeited to the government.

He said the convict shall also depose an affidavit of good behaviour before the court.

Ekanem was arrested by the EFCC in September at Choba in Port Harcourt for internet fraud and other fraud-related activities.

The convict defrauded one Diana Roskov by impersonating Coran Capsha, the manager of the singer Chris Stapleton, via social media.

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) says its operatives have uncovered a significant drug haul at Tincan Island Port in Lagos state and Onne Port in Rivers state.

The agency said 26,250,000 pills of tramadol and 508,400 bottles of codeine syrup with a street value of N16.68 billion were seized in separate raids.

Other drugs seized include 10 million tablets of Toradol Benzhexol and 28 plastic drums of methamphetamine weighing 700kg.

The agency also seized 2,118 pills of tramadol concealed in soles of 13 pairs of shoes.

In a statement on Sunday, Femi Babafemi, NDLEA spokesperson, said the Cyprus-bound consignment was seized at the export shed of the Lagos airport on October 12, 2024.

Femi Babafemi, NDLEA spokesperson, said an additional 380 tablets were recovered from the home of the alleged sender, Okenwa Uchenna, during a follow-up operation in Enugu state on 24 October.

“A cash sum of N968,880 and a Toyota Avalon car marked UWN 389 AS were also recovered from the suspect at the time of his arrest,” Babafemi said.

A 40-year-old suspect, Tsolaye Eburajolo, was also arrested in connection with a cannabis seizure in the Ago Palace area of Lagos.

Babafemi said a “bribe of N10 million” allegedly paid to NDLEA officers to free the suspect has been kept as evidence for prosecution.

He added that on October 25, NDLEA operatives raided the Igbo-Igunuko shrine at Alfa Beach in Ajah.

They recovered jumbo bags of Ghanaian Loud cannabis, weighing 2,760kg, and arrested two suspects — Gbenga Abiodun and Sunday Abiodun.

Another suspect, Ademola Oyelakin, was also arrested with 770kg of the same substance along the Lagos-Ibadan expressway.

Additionally, a total of 11,786 pills of tramadol, molly, rohypnol, and diazepam, as well as 64 bottles of codeine syrup were recovered from an underground storage at the home of suspect Muhammad Warnos Abdullahi in Lekki Phase 1, Lagos.

The NDLEA reported said he had dug a deep storage space in his room, covered it with a padlocked iron slate, a rug, and placed his mattress on top to avoid detection.