July 03, (THEWILL) – A former driver with the Lagos transport company, BRT, Muyiwa Babalola Bolujoko, has been arrested for ingesting 90 pellets of cocaine at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, MMIA, Ikeja, Lagos.
The suspect was arrested on Monday, 27th June, at the screening point, before boarding a Qatar Airways flight enroute Doha to Sharjah, with his trip expected to terminate in Dubai, UAE.
Director, Media and Advocacy of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Femi Babafemi, who disclosed this in a statement on Sunday, said the 39-year-old from Ijebu South LGA, Ogun State, was placed under excretion observation after body scan result confirmed drug ingestion.
While in custody, the suspect excreted all the 90 pellets in four excretions. He claimed he left his N60,000 per month job as BRT driver in February and decided to work as drug courier to raise funds to buy a shuttle bus popularly called Korope in Lagos to continue his transport business
The NDLEA also intercepted 22 blocks of heroin weighing 23.55kilograms, concealed in packs of Nestle Cerelac baby food at same airport.
The consignment with a street value of over N4.5billion came from Johannesburg, South Africa, on board South African Airways flight on Wednesday, 29th June, as part of a consolidated cargo that arrived the SAHCO import shed of the Lagos airport.
After series of follow up operations that led to the arrest of two freight agents, the actual receiver of the drug consignment, Chike Okeke Eweni, who distributes the substance for his South Africa based partner, was arrested the following day, Thursday, 30th June, at a logistics warehouse in Ajao Estate, Ikeja. Chike, who hails from Anaocha LGA, Anambra state, claims during preliminary interview that he’s also into fish farming.
Also, on Thursday, 30th June, NDLEA operatives intercepted an inbound consignment of khat leaves, which arrived the NAHCO import shed of the Lagos airport on Royal Air Maroc flight from the Middle East. A total of 71 cartons of dried khat leaves with a gross weight of 2,434.3kg were discovered in the cargo.
“In the same vein, anti-narcotic officers of the Agency, also last Thursday, seized 36 parcels of Colorado, a variant of cannabis with a total weight of 19.30kg, which arrived the NAHCO import shed from Los Angeles, US, on a Delta Airlines flight.
“After series of follow up operations, in which four persons were arrested, the actual owner of the drug consignment, Abibu Afis Sola, was eventually nabbed on Friday, 1st July, in Gbagada area of Lagos”, the Statement explained.
Meanwhile in Rivers state, NDLEA operatives on Wednesday, 29th June, arrested a 68-year-old woman, Mrs Celina Ekeke, at Obunku community, Oyigbo LGA, with 231.2kg cannabis, while one Shedrack Eze, was arrested the following day, Thursday, 30th June, at Yankarfe, Zaria, Kaduna state, with 250,000 tablets of Exol 5, weighing 75kg. In Borno state, Usman Haruna, 27, was arrested at BCG checkpoint in Biu on Saturday, 2nd July, with 19.7kg cannabis.
Reacting on the seizures, the Chief Executive of the NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), has expressed satisfaction with the exemplary performance of the officers and men of the MMIA command in the past week, while also commending those of Rivers, Kaduna and Borno for being vigilant.
He charged them and others across the country to remain steps ahead of the tricks by the desperate drug cartels.
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