National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) agents has busted a major cocaine syndicate in Lagos following the arrest of a 56-year-old trafficker, Lawal Lateef Oyenuga.
Oyenuga was arrested on November 24 at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, on his way to deliver 400 grams of the class A drug concealed in a pair of palm sandals in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
The agency also arrested a wanted notorious drug kingpin, Wasiu Sanni Gbolahan, popularly known as Teacher, who recruits mules for the cartel.
This was disclosed in a statement by NDLEA Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, on Sunday, November 27.
“NDLEA operatives attached to the screening point of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos, had on Thursday 24th November intercepted Lawal Lateef Oyenuga with a pair of black palm sandals packed in the luggage he was going with to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia via Addis Ababa on an Ethiopian Airways flight.
“A thorough examination of the sandals revealed they were used to conceal two parcels of cocaine weighing 400 grams. This is barely a week after a 56-year-old widow and mother of four, Mrs. Ajisegiri Kehinde Sidika was arrested at the airport over her attempt to traffic 400 grams of cocaine concealed in her footwear to Makkah, Saudi Arabia on board a Qatar Airways flight,” the statement said.
The NDLEA said Oyenuga claimed he was recruited to traffic the drug by Gbolahan, aka Teacher, adding that he was first given some pellets of cocaine to swallow. However, when he couldn’t do that, he was given the ones concealed in the palm sandals.
