Drug baroness, 4 others arrested in Lagos

Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have busted three major illicit drug syndicates, leading to the arrest of a baroness and four other kingpins with multi-billion naira worth of cocaine, opioids and hemp recovered from their hideouts.

Spokesman of the agency, Femi Babafemi, on Sunday in Abuja in a statement, said that a female head of one of the syndicates, Faith Ebele Nwankwo, was arrested on Wednesday, August 9, in her residence, House 6, C Close, 3rd Avenue, Festac Town, Lagos, shortly after she returned from a warehouse on Plot 3432, Sola Akinsola Street, Divine Estate, Amuwo Odofin, where she loaded eight cartons of tramadol into an unmarked white Honda Pilot SUV.

Babafemi said, “A search of her residence and the warehouse led to the recovery of 2,750,000 pills of tramaking, a brand of tramadol 225mg and 250mg, packed in 39 cartons weighing 1,916kg. The drugs and the SUV were recovered while the suspect was taken into custody.”

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He said that in another operation targeted at a group of transnational syndicate involved in importation, exportation, distribution and dealing in cocaine and Canadian loud, operatives on Friday, August 4, tracked the syndicate to Atlantic Nominee Estate in Lekki- Ajah, Lagos, where a blue Toyota Highlander loaded with 8.49kg of cocaine and 10.3kg Canadian loud for distribution by the duo of Urama Chinemelum Precious (32) and Adelakun Ilelabayo Oluade (55).

Babafemi added that a follow-up operation at the residence of Chinemelum at House 7, Road 7, Lagra Estate, Eti-Osa, Lagos, led to the recovery of additional 18 blocks of loud weighing 18.5kg.

He further said that the following day, Saturday, August 5, operatives went after another syndicate involved in importation, distribution and diversion of ephedrine hydrochloride, a precursor chemical used for the production of methamphetamine, following intelligence that members of the cartel were planning to divert 25kg of the substance.

He explained that two members of the syndicate: Udeh Vincent Ogbonna (53) and Okonkwo Ifeanyi Uzozie (50), were arrested at a bus terminal in Jibowu, Yaba, Lagos, where they were attempting to send the concealed substance to the South East.