Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have apprehended Olu Marshal, a software engineer for possessing illicit drugs at the import shed of Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) in Lagos.
Marshal was reportedly arrested when he showed up to collect a consignment of 700 grams of Loud – a strong strain of cannabis – at the airport on Tuesday, November 5.
A follow-up search of his home in the Lekki area of the state led to the recovery of some drug paraphernalia, including a cannabis crusher, according to Femi Babafemi, NDLEA Director of Media and Advocacy, in a statement on Sunday.
“At the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, MMIA, import shed Ikeja, Lagos, NDLEA officers on Tuesday 5th November intercepted a 700grams consignment of Loud, a strong strain of cannabis.
“A software engineer, Olu Marshal who showed up to collect the package was promptly arrested and a follow-up search of his home in Lekki led to the recovery of some drug paraphernalia, including a cannabis crusher,” Babafemi said.
Also, according to NDLEA, its operatives at Apapa seaport in Lagos on Wednesday, November 6, “intercepted Thirty-One Million, Seven Hundred and Fifty Thousand (31,750,000) pills of 240mg Voltron, a controlled opioid, packaged and concealed in a container imported from India, as diclofenac sodium 100mg tablets”.
It continued, “The discovery was made during a joint examination of the container with men of Customs Service and other security agencies.
“Attempt by another suspect, Orji Ogbonna Nnaorji to send 32.50kg bottles of codeine syrup and 5.70kg cannabis to London, UK, concealed in tiger nuts cargo through the export shed of the Lagos airport was frustrated by NDLEA operatives on Friday 8th November. A follow up operation led to the arrest of Orji at his warehouse in Ajao estate, Lagos.
“In Kwara state, not less than 162,800 pills of opioids were seized by NDLEA operatives from four suspects during interdiction operations in parts of the state.
“While 112,200 tablets of tramadol were recovered from Wahab Alao Saliu, 18,900 tablets of same opioid were recovered from Dalha Musa both at Eiyenkorin area of Ilorin; 29,000 pills of tramadol, 200 ampoules of diazepam and 99 bottles of codeine syrup seized from Ahmed Isiaka, just as 2,500 tabs of tramadol were seized from Ahmed Garba, both at Bode Saadu in Moro local government area of the state on Friday 8th November.
“In Abuja, NDLEA operatives in the Federal Capital Territory on Thursday 7th November intercepted a truck along Abaji- Kwali Road with 755.50kg cannabis concealed under empty cartons of noodles. The truck driver, Lukman Rasheed, 41, claimed that bags of the psychoactive substance were loaded into the trailer in Ogbese, Ondo state after departing Lagos with only empty cartons of noodles.
“A suspect, Yusuf Abubakar, 43, was arrested by operatives on Monday 4th November at Ibi, Taraba state while conveying to Kano 361 compressed blocks of cannabis weighing 156.95kg in a commercial bus marked WKR 772 XA. Not less than 245 blocks of same substance with a total weight of 121kg were recovered by NDLEA officers on patrol along Wukari – Ibi road on Thursday 7th November.
“Two suspects: Hamza Yakubu, 30, and Abdulra’uf Danjuma, 23, were on Wednesday 6th November arrested at Gidan Manjagab area of Jos, Plateau state with 113 blocks of cannabis sativa weighing 141kg, while a Chadian, Hassan Muhammad Ali, 31, was nabbed on Tuesday 5th November at Gadar Tamburawa, Zaria-Kano Road, Kano, with 3,000 pills of tramadol 225mg.
“While a suspect Ibrahim Adamu was arrested at Jere area of Kaduna state with 35 sacks of cannabis sativa weighing 338.8 kilograms, NDLEA operatives in Edo state on Friday 8th November recovered 1,078kg cannabis at Okhuokhuo – Isi forest and 228kg of same substance at Sabo- Auchi.
“In Ondo state, four suspects: Friday Daniel, Patrick Felix, Samuel Agada and Igwe Chukwuka were arrested at Emure Ile with 672kg cannabis sativa, while 513kg of same substance was seized at Gbodo camp, Ikun Akoko and a total of 4, 908kg cannabis recovered from a suspect Musibau Kosama at Alabi Yellow, Ijoka area of Akure on Wednesday 6th November.”
