Uber driver, two traffickers arrested with cocaine at Lagos airport

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

A statement issued yesterday by the spokesman of the NDLEA, Mr Femi Babafemi said the Uber driver, Lawal Rasheed, was arrested at the SAHCO export shed of MMIA on Tuesday, June 8, 2021, when he brought a consignment from his client to a freight forwarder for export to Malabo in Equatorial Guinea.

He said when the package was searched, 150 grammes of cocaine concealed inside two pieces of air freshener were discovered.

Babafemi disclosed that a follow-up operation the following day led to the arrest of Egbo Maduka, at his residence on Wednesday, June June.

He said investigations have so far confirmed that Egbo is behind the two seizures of 50 grammes of cocaine in hair attachment and another 150 grammes of cocaine concealed in air freshener, heading to Malabo. The seizures were made on June 4 and 8, 2021, respectively.

The spokesman said also on Friday, June 11, 2021, a male passenger, Udogwu Johnson on Qatar Airlines from GRU in Brazil was arrested at D-arrival Hall, MMIA, Lagos with nine wraps of cocaine that weighed 300 grammes in his pant.

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

Babafemi said during interrogation, Ali who hails from Nguru, Yobe State but 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 travelling back to ATBU, Bauchi via Kano implored him (the suspect) to help deliver a travel bag containing the seized 3.032 kilogrammes of cannabis sativa to one Ugo who lives in Sabon Gari, Kano.

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

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

In a reaction, the Chairman/Chief Executive of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa (rtd) 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.