NDLEA Raids Hotel, Seize Drugs, Arrest Suspects In Lagos

The operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, on Friday 3rd March raided De-Niche Hotel & Suites, Omole Estate, Ojodu, Ikeja, Lagos State, where 24 suspected drug traffickers were arrested and different quantities of illicit drugs recovered from them.

Director, Media and Advocacy, NDLEA, Headquarters, Abuja, Femi Babafemi, in a statement on Sunday, revealed the raid on the hotel.

"In Lagos, NDLEA operatives on Friday 3rd March raided De-Niche Hotel & Suites, Omole Estate, Ojodu Ikeja where 24 suspects were arrested and different quantities of illicit drugs recovered from them.” He stated.

He stated that the Agency also arrested a businessman, Kingsley Celestino at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja Lagos, over 9.40 kilograms of heroin concealed in false bottoms of his two travelling bags.

According to him, Kingsley, 49-year-old, was a business class passenger and was on his way to Qatar Airline flight, via India, when he was arrested at Terminal 2 of the MMIA on Saturday, March 4.

He explained that the suspect was traveling with a Guinean international passport, but is a Nigerian of Nnewi South Local Government Area of Anambra State.

Femi Babafemi in a statement on Sunday, said preliminary investigation revealed that the suspect frequently travels to India on business class tickets.

According to Babafemi, the suspect claimed that he deals on clothing business between Nigeria and India, adding that he obtained the Guinean international passport in Guinea Bissau, where he alleged to be his maternal home.

Babafemi equally said another suspect, a 24-year-old passenger, Etounu Monday, who was travelling to Oman, was intercepted at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja on Monday 27th February.

He said the suspect was arrested during the outward clearance of Ethiopian Airline flight ET 950. He was taking out 1.924kg of skunk concealed in cream tubes, out of the Nigeria shores.

"At the Tincan seaport, Lagos, NDLEA operatives on Friday 3rd March, recovered 244 parcels of Canadian Loud weighing 79 kilograms concealed in medium size wooden sound system speakers packed inside two out of four used vehicles in a container marked CRSU9258348 coming from Toronto via Montreal, Canada.

"The imported vehicles used as cover for the drugs are a 2009 Jeep Wrangler and a 2009 Honda Ridgeline.

"Similarly, NDLEA officers of the Directorate of Operations and General Investigation, DOGI, attached to courier firms in Lagos intercepted a consignment of nine parcels of methamphetamine concealed in native black soap, Dudu Osun, heading to Europe.

"No fewer than 778,190 pills of pharmaceutical opioids including tramadol and a drum of 270kg Methylene Chloride were recovered by operatives from a suspect, Eric Pepe Yohanna, 33, in Jalingo, Taraba state on Monday 27th Feb following credible intelligence.

“Also seized from him is a daylong tricycle used in distributing the illicit substances

"In Adamawa state, the house of a wanted notorious drug dealer, Mamudu Njobdi at Sebore, Gyalla road Dougada ward, Mubi was raided in the early hours of Monday 27th Feb where he was arrested and drug exhibits recovered.

"The 31-year-old suspect was earlier arrested on Wednesday 22nd Feb at his drug joint in Kolere water board but mobilized thugs to attack NDLEA officers and in the process escaped with exhibits." The statement said.

According to Babafemi, one suspect, Geoffrey Okpani, 31, was arrested at Bukuru area of Jos, Plateau State with 27.45kg of cannabis.

Also apprehended on Saturday 4th March, was one Ajayi Tope, 30. He was picked up at Area 5 Ile-Ife, in Ife south local government area of Osun State, with 18kg of same substance. "Reacting to the arrests and seizures of the past week, Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Retd) commended the officers, men and women of MMIA, NAIA, Tincan, Taraba, Adamawa, Plateau, Osun and Lagos Commands as well as DOGI for their efforts.

"He charged them and their counterparts across the country to intensify the ongoing mop up operations to deny political thugs access to illicit substances ahead of the Governorship and House of Assembly elections this weekend." He stated.