NDLEA arrests ex-convict, recovers 316,800 bottles of codeine

The operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), have arrested an ex-convict, Eniola Sodade, for passport racketeering at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Ikeja, Lagos.

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The NDLEA spokesman, Femi Babafemi, disclosed this in a statement on Sunday in Abuja.

Mr Babafemi said the suspect had earlier been arrested by operatives of the Tincan Command, Lagos, in June 2024, for drug trafficking.

He said the suspect, who was again arrested by officers of MMIA strategic command of the agency, had earlier been prosecuted and sentenced to four years in prison.

He also said that when he was convicted by a Federal High Court in Lagos on 14 June 2024, the trial judge gave him an option of paying N750,000 fine, which he paid and was let go.

“However, in series of operations in December 2024, the NDLEA operatives at the export shed of the Lagos airport, intercepted no fewer than 52 passports of different countries.

“These were recovered from shipments going to Canada, Russia and other countries and were concealed in shoe soles and food items.

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“Further investigations led to the arrest of four members of three syndicates involved in the racket.

“The arrested suspects include: the ex-convict which is Eniola Sodade, while others are Saheed Awwal, Salaudeen Afeez and Adebayo Bamigbade.

“Both the exhibits and the suspects were on Monday, Dec. 30, 2024 handed over to the Zonal Command of the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS), in Lagos for further investigation and possible prosecution,” he said.

Meanwhile, not less than 316,800 bottles of codeine-based syrup were recovered from two containers by NDLEA officers at the Port Harcourt Ports Complex, Onne, Rivers State.

This, he said, was during a joint examination of the shipments with officials of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) and other security agencies on Tuesday, 31 December.

READ ALSO: How Nigeria plans to reduce dependence on imported drugs – Official

“The seizure followed credible intelligence processed by the Port Harcourt Port command of the agency,” he stated.

Also, in Kano, NDLEA operatives on Tuesday, 31 December, raided Mafarki, Dan Dishe area of Dala local government area, where they recovered 149,090 pills of tramadol and exol-5 from a local dealer, 45-year-old Ismail Muhammad.

Again, in Kwara, a fresh graduate, Khadijat Abdulraheem, 24, and a 20-year-old student of the University of Ilorin, Ayomide Morakinyo, were on Sunday, 29 December, arrested by NDLEA operatives at Tanke-University road, Oke Odo, Ilorin.

Mr Babafemi said that their arrest was based on credible intelligence that they were producing and selling drug-laced cupcakes to students in the community.

“When their apartment was searched, 42 pieces of drug-laced cakes were recovered,” he stated.

(NAN)