The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, has arrested two businessmen for ingesting 193 pellets of cocaine at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.
Director, Media and Advocacy, NDLEA, Mr Femi Babafemi, on Sunday said both men have excreted the pellets of the illicit drugs after three days in observatory custody.
He said that the traffickers, Onoh Ebere, 49, and Christian Ifeanyi Ogbuji, 47, were intercepted at the Abuja airport on May 10, upon their arrival from Uganda via Addis Ababa, onboard Ethiopian Airlines, flight ET 951.
Babafemi added that though both suspects have businesses they manage in Nigeria, their main source of income had been drug trafficking.
“They both travelled to Uganda and from there crossed over to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, where they picked the consignments before returning to Abuja with Lagos as their final destination.
“After days in excretion room, Ebere Onoh excreted a total of 100 pellets, weighing 2.137kg, while Christian Ifeanyi Ogbuji expelled 93 pellets hidden in his stomach with a gross weight of 1.986kg,” he said.
In another development, Babafemi said that 460,000 mls of Akuskura in 7,800 bottles were also seized from a dealer, Mohammed Kyari, 42, who was arrested in Gamboru Ngala town, Jere Local Government Area of Borno.
Meanwhile, the agency has intercepted 68,300 tramadol and other dangerous pills in Awka.
Babafemi disclosed that the drugs were recovered from one Nasiru Usman when NDLEA operatives intercepted his vehicle conveying the illicit drugs.
He added that operatives, supported by soldiers, also raided the hideout of a notorious drug dealer, Jimoh Lekan at Owode in Ogun on May 11.
The operatives recovered 134kg of Indian hemp from his store in the hideout.
In Plateau, NDLEA operatives arrested a suspect, Bashir Usman (32), on May 9 at Gangare area of Jos, with 43.951kg of Indian hemp.
NDLEA operatives attached to courier firms also intercepted 398 grams of cocaine concealed in native dresses bound for Saudi Arabia.
A female suspect, Fatima Hassan was also arrested on May 12 at Agege, Lagos State with 33.5kg of Indian hemp, he stated.
Babafemi added that 44kg of Indian hemp was recovered also on May 12 from the Lagos Island warehouse of a fleeing drug dealer.
He explained that on May 11, another suspect, Peter Joseph, was arrested on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway with 10,000 pills of tramadol and 1,500 tablets of Rohypnol.
Joseph concealed the drugs inside his Toyota Sienna vehicle, Babafemi stated.
