N2.2bn worth of drugs seized in 11 months at Lagos airport

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) on Saturday announced that about 507.936kg of illicit drugs with worth over N2.2 billion were seized by the agency at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos in eleven months. The agency over the weekend disclosed that the drugs were confiscated between January and November this year.

“The breakdown of the drugs seized shows that cocaine has the highest quantity with 172.930kg, cannabis is next with 170.554kg, psychotropic substances 121.100kg while heroin is 43.352kg,” said Mitchell Ofoyeju, head of public affairs of the NDLEA.

He disclosed that the agency arrested 139 suspects within the specified period, stressing that 127 of the illegal drug peddlers are males while 12 are females.

Fighting decadence

According to the agency’s spokesperson, the highest number of drug seizures - 135kg with 15 arrests - was recorded in the month of July, adding that 19kg of drugs was confiscated in February with 13 arrests.

Commenting on the development, Ahmadu Giade, chief executive of the agency in a statement disclosed that the anti-narcotics agency will continue fighting against the trafficking of illicit drugs.

“It has become pertinent that we daily increase our commitment to the anti-narcotic campaign as every seizure made translates to incapacitation of drug syndicates,” he said. “If we fail to stop the drug barons, deny them of the illicit proceeds and place a commensurate sanction on them, we will end up aggravating the problem of moral decadence in the society.”

Caught in the act

According to the agency, Folayan Elizabeth, 64, a mother of seven, who ingested 1.06kg of cocaine is the oldest of the suspects. She was apprehended on November 17, during screening of passengers on Iberia flight.

19-year-old Adetola Odufuwa, who was apprehended on August 23 with 5.05kg cannabis concealed in powdered milk container, is the youngest amongst the peddlers.

According to the agency, Okoh John, 45, broke records on April 4, when he excreted 3.3kg of cocaine on his way to Germany, stressing that the suspect is the first ever to ingest a “whopping 3.349kg” of narcotics in the country’s history of drug control.