The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency has confirmed the arrest of a Brazil-based businessman, Ezeokoli Sylva, with 700 grams of cocaine in his stomach, at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, MMIA, Ikeja Lagos.
It was made known in a statement on Sunday by the NDLEA Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi.
Babafemi noted that the discovery was made by operatives at the airport when the suspect who has lived in Brazil for 35 years returned to Nigeria.
According to the remark, the 59-year-old Ezeokoli was arrested on Friday, November 29, at the E-Arrival hall of the Lagos airport upon his return from Sao Paulo, Brazil on Ethiopia Airlines flight via Addis Ababa.
The statement stressed that when he was taken for a body scan, the result indicated that the suspect had foreign objects concealed in his stomach.
Babafemi said as a result, he was placed under excretion observation during which he expelled 29 wraps of substances that tested positive for cocaine weighing 700grams.
The NDLEA spokesman said according to the suspect’s statement, he claimed he operates an African store in Brazil where he sells provisions, shoes, and clothes.
He said the suspect claimed he bought the illicit consignment in Sao Paulo to resell in Nigeria with a view to raising substantial capital to boost his business.
He noted that the NDLEA officers of the Directorate of Investigation and General Investigation, on Tuesday 26th November intercepted two consignments containing cocaine and pentazocine injection going to the United Kingdom via a courier company in Lagos.
He said while the cocaine weighing 200 grams was concealed in local fabrics, 40 ampoules of pentazocine injection weighing 110 grams were hidden in cartons.
The statement further stresses, “In Kano, NDLEA operatives on Thursday 28th November arrested three suspects: Jamilu Adamu, 38; Umar Musa, 32; and Bunu Ali, 27, with 2,000 ampoules of pentazocine injection and 3,135,000 pills exol-5 at Gadar Tamburawa, Zaria road.
“No fewer than 2, 120 kilograms of Ghanaian Loud, a strong strain of cannabis produced in Ghana were intercepted by NDLEA operatives at the Ilesan beach, Lagos on Thursday 28th November.
“A suspect, Onibogi Muftau was arrested in connection with the seizure while four vehicles that were to convey the shipments from the waterfront were also recovered. This came on the heels of the seizure of 472kg of the same psychoactive substance at Idi-Iroko, Imeko area of Ogun state on Monday 25th November.
“In Edo state, two suspects: Monday Onyenemue, 60, and Evans Omogiede, 42, were on Thursday 28th November arrested and 185.6kg cannabis as well as a Toyota Previa bus marked BEN 06XL conveying the consignment recovered during an intelligence-led raid by NDLEA operatives at Ukuwague street, Benin city.
“With the same vigour, Commands, and formations of the Agency across the country continued their War Against Drug Abuse, WADA, sensitization activities to schools, worship centres, workplace,s and communities among others in the past week.
“These include: WADA sensitisation lecture to students and staff of Government Girls Secondary School, Kofar Wambai, Kano; Government Day Secondary School, Njoboli- Fulani, Yola, Adamawa state; Girls High School, Mgbowo, Enugu state; God’s Time College, Ikole Ekiti, Ekiti state while Cross River state Command delivered WADA sensitization lecture to traders at 8 Miles market, Calabar, among others.”
The NDLEA boss, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), commended the officers and men of MMIA, DOGI, Lagos, Kano, and Edo Commands of the Agency for the arrests and seizures, noting that their operational successes and those of their compatriots across the country especially their balanced approach to drug supply reduction and drug demand reduction efforts are well appreciated.