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NDLEA Seizes Illicit Drugs Worth N2.2b at MMIA
By Chinedu Eze, 12.06.2009

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About 507.935 kilogrammes of illicit drugs worth about N2.2 billion, has been seied by the National Drug Law [b]Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport , Lagos (MMIA) in the last nine months.
This was made known by the spokesman of the agency, Mitchell Ofoyeju, who said that the breakdown of the drugs seized between January and November show that cocaine has the highest quantity with 172.930 kilogrammes, cannabis is next with 170.554 kilogrammes, psychotropic substances 121.100 kilogrammes while heroin is 43.352 kilogrammes.
According to him, a total of 139 suspected drug traffickers were arrested within the period under review, comprising 127 males and 12 females.
“The month of July has the highest seizure of 135.066 kilogrammes with 15 arrests while in February 19.04 kilogrammes of drugs were seized with 13 arrests,” Ofoyeju disclosed.
Reacting to the spate of seizures and arrests made by the agency, the Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Ahmadu Giade vowed to make drug trafficking unattractive and encourage the principle of diligence.
“It has become pertinent that we increase our commitment daily to the anti-narcotic campaign as every seizure made translates to incapacitation of drug syndicates. If we fail to stop the drug barons, deny them the illicit proceeds and place a commensurate sanction on them, we will end up aggravating the problem of moral decadence in the society”
He therefore called for more public support in the agency’s drive for a crime free society and warned drug barons that the agency would go the extra mile in halting the obnoxious trade in narcotics and psychotropic substances.
Ofoyeju also disclosed that the oldest among the suspects was the 64-year-old Folayan Elizabeth, a mother of seven that ingested 1.060 kg of cocaine who was arrested on November 17, 2009 during screening of passengers on Iberia flight.
The youngest suspect was the 19-year old student, Adetola Odufuwa studying in Cyprus who was nabbed on August 23, 2009 with 5.050 kg of cannabis concealed in powdered milk container in his luggage.
“One Ukoh John Ifeanyi, 45-year-old business man, however, broke agency’s record on April 4, 2009 when he excreted 3.349 kilogrammes of cocaine on his way to Germany . Ukoh John is the first suspect to ingest a whopping 3.349 kg of narcotic drug in the history of Nigeria ’s drug control,” the agency’s spokesman said.[/b]


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