National Drug Law Enforcement Agency operatives are investigating a businessman who excreted 68 wraps of cocaine at the Murtala Mohammed Airport.
The man identified as Ibeanusi Nosike, was arrested on August 8, 2024, as he prepared to flyout out of the country. He was kept under observation for 12 days before finally passing out what he had swallowed.
This is coming on the heels of a similar arrest of another businessman Paul Mbadugha, who was also Vietnam bound at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport after he tested positive for ingesting cocaine. Mbadugha excreted a total of 88 wraps of cocaine, weighing 1.710 kilograms.
NDLEA spokesperson Femi Babafemi said Sunday in a statement that Nosike was arrested while attempting to board the first flight out of Lagos to Abuja.
“Onitsha, Anambra state based-businessman, Ibeanusi Solomon Nosike, excreted 68 wraps of cocaine after 12 days of excretion observation following his arrest at the local wing of the MMIA Ikeja Lagos by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA.
“The 36-year-old Ibeanusi was arrested in the early hours of Thursday 8th August 2024 at the old domestic terminal of the Lagos airport while attempting to board the first flight out of Lagos to Abuja where he was scheduled to join a Qatar Airways flight to Vietnam at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, NAIA, Abuja at about 10 am the same day.”
“The suspect who came under NDLEA surveillance following intelligence had arrived in Lagos from his base in Onitsha, Anambra state, the previous day, August 7 and lodged in a hotel where he swallowed the 68 wraps of cocaine before heading to the airport for a 6:30 am flight the following morning.
“He was thereafter intercepted by NDLEA operatives who moved him into excretion observation where he spent the next 12 days excreting the cocaine pellets weighing 1.282 kilograms.”
Babafemi also said another Onitsha-based businessman, Aligbo Jacob, was arrested by NDLEA operatives following the seizure of a consignment of 1.20kg cannabis concealed in a package going to Dubai, UAE.
“Operatives at the MMIA Strategic Command of the Agency had intercepted the shipment at the export shed of the Lagos airport while investigations revealed the cargo was sent through a courier company in Onitsha. After a series of follow-up operations, Aligbo was eventually arrested in Onitsha on Saturday, 17th August,” he added.
Babafemi added that an all-female drug trafficking gang traffics drugs outside the country.
He said the leader of the syndicate, 42-year-old Olaribigbe Feyisara, had been under NDLEA radar before being tracked and arrested.
Babafemi said four other members of the gang were arrested.
He said, “Operatives of a Special Operations Unit in NDLEA have arrested five cross-border female drug traffickers at the Seme border while on their way back to Lagos from Ghana. Leader of the syndicate, 42-year-old Olaribigbe Bashirat Feyisara, has been under NDLEA radar before being tracked and arrested on August 21 along with other members of her gang: Abogun Fatimah Ladidi; Osibeluwo Tolulope Oluwaseun; Akanni Balikis Oluwatoyin and Ajetumobi Amudalat.
“At the point of their arrest at the Seme border, a total of 14 packs of Loud, a strong strain of cannabis, weighing a total of 6.97kg, were recovered from hidden parts of their bodies.”
At the Lagos port, Babafemi said NDLEA operatives intercepted N2.2billion worth of codeine.
He said, “Similarly, NDLEA operatives at the Tincan seaport in Lagos on Friday 23rd August intercepted two containers which came from Mundra port in India.
“No fewer than 1,596 cartons of codeine-based syrup containing 319,200 bottles of the opioid worth N2,234,400,000.00 in street value were recovered from the containers during a joint examination with other port stakeholders.”
In Edo State, Babafemi said two ladies were arrested for online sales of drug-laced cookies and cakes.
He said, “Two ladies were arrested by operatives in Edo state for online sales of illicit drugs. While Martha Owotorofa, 26, was nabbed at Kada Plaza, Benin City, with quantities of Canadian Loud, Odion Uzordinma, 21, was arrested at the Ugbowo area of the city with 30 cups of cookies and 17 slices of cake, all laced with illicit substances.
“A raid operation at Oghada village, Uhunmwonde local government area of the state on Tuesday 20th August led to the arrest of Saturday Edobor, 50, with 288.8kg cannabis.”
