Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have arrested a cleaner at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Ikeja Lagos, who leads a drug syndicate at the international wing of the airport.
The cleaner, Ohiagu Sunday, 34, was arrested on August 23 following the arrest of an intending passenger, Obinna Jacob Osita, on an Air Peace flight to Dubai, UAE.
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Osita was arrested with three bags, two of which contained eight blocks of Indian hemp weighing 4.25kg concealed in cassava product, gari and crayfish.
The spokesman of the NDLEA, Femi Babafemi, said on Sunday in Abuja that one other member of the airport syndicate who worked with Ohiagu has also been arrested while operatives are after another suspect.
According to him, investigations revealed that a Dubai-based drug dealer recruited Obinna, a 42-year-old native of Oyi LGA, Anambra State, to traffic the drugs and also contracted Ohiagu, the airport cleaner from Orlu West LGA of Imo State to create an unhindered passage of the trafficker.
“The drug syndicate bust, which is the first drug arrest at the new terminal of the MMIA, comes on the heels of the seizure of a consignment of bottles of Viju and Fearless energy drinks used to conceal skunk for export to Dubai, UAE through the NAHCO export shed on Monday 15th August.
“A freight agent has already been arrested in connection with the seizure.
Meanwhile, in Sokoto State, the village head of Ruga, Shagari LGA, Alhaji Umaru Mohammed (aka Danbala), said to be a notorious drug dealer who was arrested on August 22, will be arraigned.
Before his recent arrest, during which hemp weighing 436.381kg and 1kg diazepam were recovered from his house, an earlier raid on July 20, 2022, of the same house had led to the seizure of 11.5kg hemp, 2.259kg exol5 and 500grams of diazepam.
The Chairman/Chief Executive of NDLEA, Brig.-Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (retired), commended the officers and men of the agency for the arrests and seizures.
