In another milestone effort to combat international drug trafficking, the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency(NDLEA) says it has successfully arrested a woman, Ihensekhien Miracle Obehi, who attempted to export large consignments of cocaine concealed in her private parts, stomach, and handbag with a false bottom, bound for Iran.
She also disguised herself with a hijab.
Obehi was intercepted on May 3 at the departure hall of Port Harcourt International Airport in Rivers State while trying to board a Qatar Airways flight to Iran via Doha, following credible intelligence.
In a statement sent to Persecondnews on Sunday in Abuja, NDLEA’s Director of Media and Advocacy, Mr. Femi Babafemi, said that during a search, three wraps of cocaine were found inserted in her private parts, and two large parcels were hidden in false compartments of her handbag, while she had swallowed 67 pellets of the Class A drug.
The statement reads: “As a result, she was placed under excretion observation and after four excretions that lasted days, she expelled the 67 wraps of the substance in her stomach.
“She claimed she was to swallow 70 pellets of cocaine but after ingesting 67 pieces she could no longer swallow the remaining three and decided to insert them into her private part.
“The total weight of the three consignments hidden in different parts of her body comes to 2.523 kilograms.”
Similarly, NDLEA operatives at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport(MMIA), Ikeja Lagos on Friday, May 9, intercepted a 22-year-old British national, Campbell Kaizra Kofi Johannes Slifer, coming from Thailand through Doha on Qatar Airways flight with two suitcases loaded with 35 parcels of Loud, a strong strain of cannabis weighing 37.60kg.
Campbell, who claimed he had twice been convicted in the UK for drug trafficking and robbery, said he was recruited in London to travel to Thailand to pick up the illicit consignment and bring it to Nigeria.
The statement reads: “In Niger State, NDLEA officers, acting on intelligence, intercepted a fuel truck marked ABJ 693 XU and three other vehicles loaded with 246 bags of skunk, a strain of cannabis with a combined weight of 3,047 kilograms, along the Suleja-Kaduna road on May 7.
“The four suspects arrested with the exhibits include: Christopher Onyema, 47; Benedict Etineruba Young, 54; Chukwudi Ujue Jerry, 30; and Mohammed Abdullahi Danasabe.
“Apart from the fuel truck, three other vehicles recovered from the suspects include: a Honda Odyssey bus marked YAB 667 CZ, a Gulf bus with registration number GWA 125 TQ, and a Honda Odyssey bus marked ABJ 230 CN.
“At Oja Amukoko in the Ijora area of Lagos, NDLEA operatives arrested two suspects, Eze Chekube Emmanuel and Ike Samuel Chinyerem, on Thursday, May 8, with a total of 109,914 pills of tramadol, swinol, and nitrozepam seized from them.
“On Tuesday, May 6, NDLEA operatives recovered 52.5kg of skunk from two suspects, Lukman Sabo Umar, 23, and Tukur Ammadu, 20, in a bus at Gwantu, Sanga LGA, Kaduna State. Meanwhile, on May 5, NDLEA operatives on patrol along the Bode Saadu-Jebba expressway in Kwara State arrested Rufai Nasiru with 45,400 pills of tramadol 225mg.
“In Bauchi State, NDLEA officers on patrol along the Bauchi-Gombe road on Tuesday, May 6, intercepted a Toyota Tundra jeep marked RBC 111 DW, conveying 526 blocks of skunk weighing 505kg, and arrested two suspects: Isaac Onogure, 37, and Ikechukwu Peter, 44.
“NDLEA operatives raided a hideout at Rijiyar Zaki in Kano on May 20, recovering 31 kegs containing 775 liters of codeine syrup from two suspects: Hafizu Isa Uman, 34, and Ismail Shehu, 48. Separately, on May 6, NDLEA officers intercepted 1.1kg of Loud concealed in a pillow at a Lagos courier company.”
The NDLEA has continued its War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) social advocacy activities across the country last week.
Some highlights include WADA sensitisation lectures delivered to students and staff at Federal Government College in Sokoto, Deeper Life International College in Anambra, Martins Sanda Girls Science College in Niger State, and Restoration Power International School in Akwa Ibom.
Additionally, the Oyo State command delivered a WADA enlightenment lecture to members of the League of Imams and Alfas at Iseyin Central Mosque.
The Chairman/CEO of NDLEA, retired Brig.-Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa, commended officers of the DOGI, MMIA, PHIA, Lagos, Kano, Kaduna, Bauchi, Kwara, and Niger Commands for the arrests and seizures over the past week.
He also praised their counterparts in all commands nationwide for striking a balance between drug supply reduction and drug demand reduction efforts.
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