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| The suspect |
Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency have arrested a 44-year-old father of three, Gabriel Patrick, for allegedly ingesting 96 pellets of cocaine, which he excreted in the custody of the agency.
Patrick, an indigene of Enugu North Local Government Area of Enugu State, was arrested on Friday, November 26, at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja during an outward clearance of a Turkish airline at the boarding area of the airport en route to Abuja-Istanbul-Madrid
The NDLEA Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, on Sunday, said the suspect had travelled to Germany in 1996 for two years on asylum after which he relocated to Spain in 1999, where he had a residence permit and worked as a driver in a food manufacturing company.
According to Babafemi, Patrick claimed he came into Nigeria on November 17 to sell the clothes and car spare parts he shipped to Lagos earlier.
He, however, said he could not sell his consignments, which cost him 4,000 Euros, excluding the cost of shipment, because they were priced below the cost price at the Ladipo Market in Lagos, adding that he needed to travel back to Spain to resume work at the expiration of his annual leave.
“This, he said, led him to accept an offer to traffic the drug for which he would be paid 1,500 Euros when he successfully delivers the consignment to someone in Spain.
“He claimed he left Lagos for Enugu to see his family members and then travelled on November 25 to Onitsha, Anambra State, where he was picked from Upper Iweka Park at night and taken to a house where he was given the 96 pellets of cocaine to ingest before leaving for Abuja to board his flight to Madrid the following day,” the NDLEA spokesman added.
Meanwhile, operatives of the agency at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos arrested a man, Okorie Onyeribe, for attempting to export 21.85kg of cannabis concealed in foodstuffs to London, UK.
He was said to have been nabbed at the NAHCO export shed of the airport on Friday, December 3.
Babafemi said, “Five students of the American University of Nigeria, Yola, Adamawa, and University of Maiduguri, Borno State, were among suspects arrested for drug offences in raids operations across nine states in the last week.
“Two of the students, Emmanuel Thlama and Jonah Joshua, were arrested with 16.750kg cannabis on the night of November 30 when operatives raided a settlement opposite Gate 4 of the University of Maiduguri. The other three, all AUN undergraduate students: Ekene Asher, Daniel Alkali and Emmanuel Smooth, were arrested at 11.30pm on Thursday, December 2, after taking delivery of ‘Loud’, a strong variant of cannabis ordered by Ekene for them to smoke.
“Earlier same day, operatives intercepted a motorised concrete mixer truck used to conceal 2000.6kg of cannabis, loaded at Ogbese, Ondo State. Two suspects arrested with the drugs: Matthew Donuwe and Friday Nborgwu, claimed they spent a month on the road from Ondo State, hoping to deliver the consignment in Mubi, Adamawa, before they were arrested at Girei in the Girei LGA of the state.”
In Oyo State, operatives reportedly intercepted 608.40kg of cannabis sativa concealed in a black Toyota Sequoia SUV with number plate, Lagos MUS 553 GN, and parked around the Tollgate area, Ibadan-Ife Expressway, Egbeda LGA, Ibadan, on Friday, December 3.
The NDLEA spokesman said, “The following day, operatives equally seized 85.90kg cannabis recovered from the boot of a Nissan Primera car, Lagos FJK 890 DZ, and in one of the rooms of an apartment where search operation was carried out at the Adegbayi area, Alakia, Egbeda LGA. Those arrested in connection with the seizure included Benson Uzoka, 46; Kafayat Uzoka, 40; Ndidi Uzoka, 39; and Christopher Uzoka, 42.
“While the duo of Praise Emmanuel and Aminu Aliyu were arrested with 228kg cannabis in Kano, operatives in Taraba stormed cannabis farms in Changso village, Kurmi LGA, located on the mountains between Nigeria and Cameroon, removed 364kg of the illicit drug and set the rest on fire.
“Equally, ThankGod Danladi, who just finished a jail term in October, was arrested on Wednesday, December 1, with 67kg cannabis in another raid in the state.
“In Niger State, operatives intercepted a commercial bus with 215kg cannabis concealed in a false bottom and side door of the bus, along Mokwa-Jebba Road. Two suspects, a driver and his conductor, who were arrested, claimed they loaded the consignment in Ogere, Ogun State, and were heading for Sokoto as their final destination.”
In Delta State, a lady, Tina Ujene, was arrested in Ibusa with 1.1kg cannabis, while a follow-up raid on her supplier’s home led to the recovery of 54.7kg of the same substance
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