National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) Operatives Apprehend 67-Year-Old Cocaine Trafficker at Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja

In a recent operation, operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) apprehended a 67-year-old drug trafficker, identified as Chukwuemeka Clement, at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport (NAIA) in Abuja. The arrest was made after Clement was found to have ingested a staggering 100 wraps of cocaine.

The NDLEA also reported another significant apprehension at Kano airport, where a lady bound for Saudi Arabia was caught with 52 pellets of narcotics. Furthermore, in coordinated efforts, the NDLEA destroyed over 11 tonnes of cannabis in the forests of Ogun and Edo states.

Femi Babafemi, the Director of Media & Advocacy for the NDLEA, issued a statement confirming these developments, which was shared on the agency’s official Facebook page.

According to the statement, Chukwuemeka Clement was taken into custody on Tuesday, October 3rd, during the clearance of passengers arriving on Ethiopian Airlines flight 951 from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. A body scan revealed multiple pellets of cocaine in his stomach, ultimately leading to the extraction of 100 wraps weighing 2.195 kilograms.

Chukwuemeka Clement confessed to having spent three decades in countries including Brazil, Ethiopia, and Thailand. Having lost his wife without bearing any children, he claimed he resorted to drug trafficking to amass enough funds to marry again and start afresh.

On the same day as Chukwuemeka’s arrest, NDLEA operatives at the Malam Aminu Kano International Airport (MAKIA) intercepted Bilkisu Mohammed Bello, a 45-year-old woman preparing to board a Saudia Airlines flight to Saudi Arabia. She admitted to swallowing pellets of cocaine and directed authorities to a house in Farawa, Kano, where 52 wraps of the illicit substance, totaling 767 grams, were discovered.

In addition to these airport operations, NDLEA personnel, with support from the Nigerian Army, Civil Defence Corps, and Amotekun personnel, raided James Town in Ogunmakin, Obafemi Owode local government area of Ogun state. There, they located and destroyed 10.38 tonnes of cannabis sativa, covering an area of 4.152 hectares.

During their return from the operation, the team intercepted a truck carrying a 40ft container loaded with logs of wood. A search of the container revealed two bags of cannabis sativa weighing 20 kilograms, and six suspects were apprehended.

Similar operations were conducted in Edo state, where 30 sacks of skunk weighing 300 kilograms were found concealed in charcoal at Obi camp in Owan West LGA. Additionally, two cannabis farms measuring 1.179065 hectares were identified and destroyed in Igbanke forest in Orhiowon local government area, resulting in the arrest of four suspects.

Further arrests and seizures were reported in Gombe state and Oyo state, highlighting the relentless efforts of NDLEA operatives in combatting drug trafficking and related offenses across Nigeria.