Drug Bust: Businessmen, Hotel Attendant Nabbed in Abuja, Lagos

Two Lagos businessmen, ThankGod Emenike and Chidike Prince, have been apprehended for concealing cocaine and heroin in their bodies while boarding flights to Hong Kong and France respectively.

The suspects were detained by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja, on Friday, October 20th, and Saturday, October 21st.

Also, arrested by NDLEA operatives is Agbo Tochukwu, who was found with a consignment of 58 parcels of skunk, weighing 29.10 kilograms, as he tried to board a flight to Oman.

NDLEA Spokesman, Femi Babafemi, disclosed this information in a statement on Sunday, stating that Tochukwu was apprehended at Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Ikeja, Lagos.

“Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, have detained two businessmen at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, NAIA, Abuja, with consignments of cocaine and heroin concealed in their bodies, destined for Hong Kong and France,” the statement read.

“ThankGod Chimamkpa Emenike, 38, was arrested at the boarding gate of the Abuja airport on Friday, October 20th, during the departure of passengers on Air France flight 818 to Paris. Another passenger, 41-year-old Agbo Chidike Prince, was taken into NDLEA custody on Saturday, October 21st, while attempting to board an Ethiopian Airlines flight ET 950 to Hong Kong via Addis Ababa.

“They were both apprehended and detained after body scans revealed they had ingested illicit drugs. After several days in custody and multiple excretions, Emenike excreted 72 wraps of heroin weighing 1.171 kilograms, while Chidike discharged 49 pellets of cocaine with a total weight of 998.53 grams. In his statement, Chidike claimed to be a businessman dealing in spare parts at the Alaba International market in the Ojo area of Lagos. He mentioned that he was to receive N3.5 million, which he intended to use for importing goods from Hong Kong.”

Tochukwu revealed that he was working as a hotel attendant in Oman before getting involved in drug trafficking, Babafemi added.

Babafemi stated that the agency, in various operations across the country, intercepted no less than 2,197 kilograms of illicit drugs in Ondo and 541 kilograms of illicit drugs in Oyo and Lagos.

He further stated, “Meanwhile, a total of 2,197 kilograms of skunk were seized in four interdiction operations in parts of Ondo state over four days. This included 1,165.5 kilograms seized in Uso, Owo LGA on Wednesday, October 25th, and a consignment of 691 kilograms recovered from Ukugu forest in Ipele on the previous day, Tuesday, October 24th. A suspect, Ifeanyi Abuguja, 32, was arrested with 87 kilograms of the same substance on Monday, October 23rd, at Agula Road, Ogbese, Akure North LGA, while 253.5 kilograms were recovered at Ogbese market in Akure North LGA on Thursday, October 26th.

“In Oyo state, two suspects, Ayo Dele, 19, and Olaitan Ahmed, 23, were apprehended with 160 grams of cannabis at a drug joint in Nalende area of Ibadan metropolis on Sunday, October 22nd. A subsequent operation at their warehouse in the same area led to the discovery of 332 kilograms of the same substance.

“Furthermore, operatives of the Lagos Command of the Agency intercepted and recovered a vehicle loaded with 209 kilograms of Loud in the Okun Ajah area of the state on Monday, October 23rd. In Gombe, on Saturday, October 28th, counterparts of the agency discovered an abandoned consignment of 401 blocks of cannabis sativa weighing 392 kilograms and 21,000 capsules of tramadol at Tumfure area of the state.”