Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have arrested Adewunmi Adebola Dorcas, a businesswoman based in Ibadan, Oyo State, and Arinze Ora, an auto parts dealer, over attempts to export consignments of opioids and cocaine to London, United Kingdom, and Congo Brazzaville, respectively.
On Friday, September 6, 2024, NDLEA officers at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos intercepted a cargo destined for the United Kingdom. A thorough search revealed 924 bottles of codeine-based syrup weighing 135.70 kg and 5,250 tablets of Rohypnol concealed within cartons of foodstuffs.
Femi Babafemi, spokesperson for the NDLEA, reported that the freight agent, Owojori Olanrewaju Sunday, who presented the cargo, was immediately arrested.
The statement read: “Further investigation led to the arrest of another suspect, Adewunmi Akeem Temitope, who claimed that his mother, 58-year-old Mrs. Adewunmi Adebola Dorcas sent the consignment to him from Ibadan to deliver to the agent. A follow-up operation on Saturday 7th September led to the arrest of Mrs Adewunmi in Ibadan where she deals in foodstuffs and cargo export.
“In his statement, the agent Owojori confessed that he has been working for Mrs Adewunmi to export cargoes to the UK, adding that he was paid N2,411,000.00 for the job, while he was paid N2.1million for a similar consignment handled for the businesswoman earlier.”
In a separate case, NDLEA operatives at the same Lagos airport intercepted a shipment on Wednesday, September 11, 2024, destined for Congo Brazzaville via Ethiopian Airlines. A search of cartons containing auto spare parts and Checkers powder custard uncovered 300 grams of cocaine hidden within the custard containers. This led to the arrest of the consignor, Arinze Ora, who operates an auto parts business in the Amuwo Odofin area of Lagos.
Additionally, NDLEA Special Operations Unit operatives arrested two brothers, Ikechukwu Ikeabba and Ugochukwu Ikeabba, on Tuesday, September 10, 2024. The brothers are alleged sponsors of drug traffickers specializing in exporting drugs by ingestion to Vietnam. Their arrest followed an earlier case involving Ibeanusi Solomon Nosike, an Onitsha-based businessman who was arrested on August 8, 2024, at Lagos airport with 68 wraps of cocaine weighing 1.282 kilograms, excreted after 12 days of observation.
Another Vietnam-bound suspect, 54-year-old Paul Okwuy Mbadugha, was arrested at Abuja airport on August 12, 2024, during the clearance of a Qatar Airways flight. Mbadugha tested positive for cocaine ingestion and was found to have swallowed 88 wraps totaling 1.710 kilograms.
At the time of their arrest, the Ikeabba brothers were found in possession of 87 wraps of cocaine dummies used for training drug swallowers.
