The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, in conjunction with operatives of the Department of State Security, have detained a 35-year-old lady, Chidinma Chinenye-Agbazue.
She was caught attempting to export 20 parcels of cannabis sativa weighing 10.70 kilogrammes concealed in African salad, popularly called Abacha, and dried vegetables, to Doha, Qatar, through the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos State.
This comes as the agency’s operatives reportedly rejected a N5m bribe from another suspect in Lagos State.
The spokesperson for the NDLEA, Femi Babafemi, revealed the development in a statement on Sunday while detailing arrests and recoveries made by the agency over the past week.
Babafemi said, “Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency have detained a 35-year-old lady, Chidinma Chinenye-Agbazue, after she was caught attempting to export 20 parcels of cannabis sativa weighing 10.70kg concealed in African salad popularly called Abacha and dried vegetables to Doha, Qatar through the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos State.
“NDLEA officers at the Lagos airport, working in partnership with men of the Department of State Security, had on Thursday, 28th March, intercepted Chidinma, an outbound passenger from Lagos to Doha, on Qatar Airways during clearance of passengers at the screening point of terminal 11 of the MMIA.
“Preliminary investigation revealed that Chidinma was based in Qatar but returned to Nigeria last December for Christmas celebration. She said preparatory to her return to Doha, she was lodged at Club Dice Hotel in the Ikotun area of Lagos where the consignment was handed over to her for trafficking to the Arab country.”
He further noted that two suspects, Monday Okeke and Chigozie Emeka, were on Tuesday, March 26, arrested by NDLEA operatives in Oniwaya, Yaba and Agege area of Lagos, where 842,560 pills of opioids, especially tramadol, in addition to 15 litres of codeine syrup and 596 grammes of Molly were recovered from the suspects.
Babafemi said, “Two suspects, Monday Okeke and Chigozie Emeka, were on Tuesday, March 26, arrested by NDLEA operatives in Oniwaya, Yaba and Agege area of Lagos, where they recovered from them 842,560 pills of opioids, especially tramadol, in addition to 15 litres of codeine syrup and 596 grams of Molly.
“An attempt by Okeke to bribe the NDLEA officers with N5m cash was rebuffed while the money was documented as part of exhibits to prosecute the suspects in court.”
