NDLEA Foils Cocaine Trafficking Operation at Enugu Airport, Disrupts Drug-Fueled Wedding Party in Katsina

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has successfully intercepted a businessman, Augustine Justine Emeka , at the Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu, on Saturday, December 9, 2023. Emeka, 44, was apprehended with twelve consignments containing a total of 797 pellets of cocaine, weighing 17.6 kilograms. The suspect, who claimed to deal in copper wire, confessed during preliminary questioning that the cocaine was intended for delivery to twelve different individuals within the country.

In a related development, NDLEA operatives at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos arrested Onyejiuwa Prince Ifeanyi on Friday, December 8. Ifeanyi had been in hiding since September 8 following the seizure of a 20kg cannabis consignment bound for the United Kingdom, concealed in tomato paste tins at the SAHCO shed.

The agency’s operations extended to the Ebute Ero Jetty in Lagos Island, where a 45-year-old Beninoise, Jamila Fatiu, was apprehended on Monday, December 4, with 398 bottles of codeine cough syrup destined for the Seme border via a boat service.

In Katsina state, NDLEA officers acting on intelligence disrupted a pre-wedding ceremony drug abuse competition in Shola Quarters, arresting 25 youths participating in the illicit activities. The groom, Musa Gwandi, who organized the event, was apprehended on Sunday, December 3, after a manhunt.

The agency’s vigilance extended to Anambra state, where operatives intercepted a truck on Sunday, December 3, containing 5,612 bottles of codeine-based syrup, 57,800 capsules of tramadol, and 5,100 ampoules of pentazocine injection. Two ladies, Chiemenam Akusoba and Chidinma Ibenwa, were also arrested with various illicit substances in different locations.

Several other arrests were made across different states, including Kaduna, Kogi, Borno, and Ondo, involving individuals with significant quantities of cannabis, tramadol, and other controlled substances.

Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Retd), commended the officers and men across all formations for their diligence and urged them to maintain the tempo of offensive actions while continuing drug demand reduction efforts. The agency’s War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) advocacy campaign also continued, reaching schools, markets, worship places, and communities nationwide.