Two Qatar-based drug kingpins have been arrested by the NDLEA following the interception of their methamphetamine consignment at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja
Its Director, Media and Advocacy, Mr Femi Babafemi disclosed in Abuja on Sunday that Eyah Nnamdi, alias Murphy and Ugwuoke Oluchukwu are in the net.
He explained that Oluchukwu was arrested on June 9 during the outward clearance of Qatar Airways passengers at the Lagos airport. He was travelling to Doha with an Ivorien passport in the name of Hien Narcisse.
Babafemi stated further that a scrutiny of his black carry-on luggage led to the discovery of a false bottom concealing two parcels of crystalline substance that tested positive to methamphetamine and weighing 1kg.
“Preliminary investigation showed that the suspect is a Nigerian who had obtained the Ivorien passport for his travels.
“He confessed that he travelled to Qatar in August 2022 and returned to Nigeria in April 2023 to perfect arrangements for the movement of the drug consignment.
“A further probe led operatives to Oluchukwu’s Qatar-based senior partner in the trade simply identified as Murphy who was lurking around in Eziani, in Nsukka Local Government Area of Enugu State.
“Oluchukwu who hails from Igboeze North Local Government Area of the state claimed he holds a National Diploma in Electrical Engineering.
“A prompt deployment of NDLEA operatives to Eziani community on June 10 led to the arrest of ‘Murphy’.
“His true identity was later discovered to be Eyah Celestine Nnamdi, who had lived in Indonesia for some years before relocating to Doha,’’ Babafemi stated.
Meanwhike, the agency has intercepted no fewer than 122,900 tramadol pills and Exol-5 in Bauchi, Kano and Benue States.
Babafemi, in a statement on Sunday, disclosed that 87,000 tramadol pills were recovered from a suspect, Tony Ogbonna, 40, at Yelwa area of Bauchi, on June 17.
Similarly, 800 tramadol pills abandoned by a suspect going to Geidam in Yobe, were also recovered at Yankaba Park, Kano on June, 14.
Babafemi said on the same day in Benue, a suspect, Chidera Gabriel was arrested with 22,100 pills of the same pharmaceutical opioid at an NDLEA check point in Vandeikya.
In Kaduna, operatives arrested a female Pharmacist, Ikwebe Ori after she allegedly use forged documents to purchase and distribute six cartons of pentazocine injection with 2,000 ampules.
“She confessed she used fake documents of a Kaduna hospital to order the drug, which she planned to distribute in Kaduna, Abuja and Sokoto.
“The consignment was initially intercepted at the local wing of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Ikeja while being sent to Kaduna by a freight agent,” he said.
In the same vein, NDLEA operatives in Niger have seized 1,072 kilograms of cannabis in two raids.
Babafemi said that 726kg of the illicit substance was recovered at Oyoyo filling station along Kaduna – Abuja express road on Thursday June, 15.
Four suspects Aminu Mohammed, 50; Nasiru Mohammed, 30; Rabiu Haruna, 29, and Hamza Abubakar, 18 were arrested, said Babafemi.
On June 16, operatives intercepted a Mercedes 1422 truck marked MKD 116 ZM on its way from Umunede, Delta with gallons of palm oil to be delivered at Garki market in Abuja.
“However, the truck driver, Jekwe Udenze, 38, along with his two assistants Gabriel Nzekwube, 43, and Chima Uzoma, 42, stopped over at Uromi, Edo.
“They loaded 19 jumbo bags of cannabis weighing 346kg, to be delivered at Dumez Luxury Park along Kaduna road, Suleja to one Ignatius Mokwe, 47.
“Both the driver and his two assistants as well as the owner of the illicit consignment, Ignatius Mokwe have been arrested,” he said.
