NDLEA Arrest Uber Driver, Two Traffickers With Cocaine At Lagos Airport

An Uber driver and two other traffickers have been arrested by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), with different quantities of cocaine at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) Lagos.

This was disclosed in a statement issued on Sunday by the Director, Media & Advocacy, NDLEA Headquarters, Femi Babafemi.

The Uber driver, Lawal Tunde Rasheed, was arrested at the SAHCO export shed of the MMIA on Tuesday June 8, when he brought a consignment from his client to a freight forwarder for export to Malabo in Equatorial Guinea.

When the package was searched, 150grams of cocaine concealed inside two pieces of air freshener were discovered.

A follow-up operation the next day led to the arrest of Egbo Emmanuel Maduka, at his residence.

Investigations have so far confirmed that Egbo is behind the two seizures of 50grams of cocaine in hair attachment and another 150grams of cocaine concealed in air freshener, heading to Malabo. The seizures were made on June 4 and 8, respectively.

Also on Friday, June 11, a male passenger, Udogwu James Johnson on Qatar Airlines from GRU in Brazil was arrested at D-arrival hall, MMIA, Lagos with nine wraps of cocaine that weighed 300grams in his underwear.

In a related development, a 27-year-old final year Petroleum Engineering student of Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University, Bauchi, Bauchi State, Ali Mohammed has been arrested with 3.032kg of cannabis sativa at a motor park in Iddo, Lagos, following a tip-off on Thursday June 10, 2021.

Under interrogation, Ali who hails from Nguru, Yobe State but was brought up in Lagos claimed that while on his way to the motor park in Iddo, from Obalende where he lives, he met an acquaintance, Ahmed who upon learning that he was traveling back to ATBU, Bauchi via Kano, implored him (the suspect) to help deliver a travel bag containing the seized 3.032kg of cannabis Sativa to one Ugo who lives in Sabon gari, Kano.

Ahmed told the suspect that he would send Ugo’s phone number to him through SMS to facilitate the delivery of the consignment when he arrives Kano.

The suspect who admitted knowing that the bag contained drugs, however, denied receiving or being promised any form of gratification for agreeing to take the drugs to Kano.

Chairman/Chief Executive of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Retd) has commended the MMIA and Lagos state Commands of the agency for the feats while charging the officers and men of the two Commands not to rest on their oars.

He asked them to remain vigilant and intensify the ongoing offensive action against all drug cartels in their areas of responsibility.