Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, (NDLEA), have arrested a 48-year-old businessman, Ifeanyi Orizu, for ingesting 74 wraps of heroin and cocaine.

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

Mr Babafemi said that Mr Orizu was intercepted while attempting to board an Air France flight 844 from the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, (NAIA) Abuja to Paris, France.

He said that the suspect was arrested at the boarding gate of the Abuja airport on Sunday, Dec. 22 during the outward clearance of passengers on Air France.

“When he was pulled aside for a body scan, he turned down the request claiming his medical condition won’t allow him.

“He was, thereafter, taken into custody for excretion observation during which he excreted a total of 74 wraps of the Class A drugs over a period of seven days.

“In his statement, Orizu claimed he owns a shop at Balogun market, Lagos Island where he sells school and travelling bags, adding that he was promised 3,000 Euros upon successful delivery of the consignment in Paris.

“He left his base in Lagos for the Abuja airport to connect his Air France flight to Paris, hoping to escape detection,”he said.

In another interdiction effort, operatives of the Marine Command of NDLEA at 2:30 a.m. on Christmas Eve intercepted two boats.

Mr Babafemi said that they were loaded with 1,960 kilograms of Ghanaian Loud, a strong strain of cannabis at the Eleko beach in Lekki area of Lagos.

He said that six foreign nationals who brought the consignments from Ghana were arrested during the operation.

“They include: two Ghanaians: Godsway John, 38; and Freedom Kelvin, 33; as well as four Beninese: Chegoun Hounsou, 23; Gadabor Nyameto, 47; Adantg Sasa, 34; and Ayao Kayivi, 21,” he said.

In another development, in Katsina, a suspect, Ibrahim Shaibu, 35, was arrested in possession of 40 album-size parcels of compressed cannabis sativa weighing 35kg on Christmas Day at Central Motor Park, Katsina.

Mr Babafemi said that another suspect Umar Ahmed, 47, was nabbed along Zaria-Malumfashi road, Katsina with 27 parcels of the same psychoactive substance weighing 13.5kg on Dec. 28.

Also, a 21-year-old suspect, Kosisochukwu Ozigbo, was arrested at new Lagos road Benin City, Edo state when the area was raided on Dec. 23 by NDLEA operatives.

“Recovered from the suspect include: 32,490 pills of tramadol 225mg, 200mg and 100mg; 936 bottles of codeine-based syrup and various quantities of other opioids,” he said.

In a concerted effort to address drug abuse, he said commands across the country merged their drug supply reduction operations with War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) initiatives, conducting advocacy campaigns in various community settings.

Some of the advocacies include: WADA sensitisation lecture delivered by Lagos State Strategic Command in collaboration with Menitos Foundation to residents of Akoka community at Ayetoro primary school, Akoka Bariga.

Also, the Adamawa state command of NDLEA delivered the same lecture to members of Jama’atul Nasril Islam during their annual first aid group and leadership camping in Adamawa, among others.

Mr Babafemi quoted the NDLEA chairman, retired Brig.-Gen. Buba Marwa as commending the efforts of the officers and men of NAIA, Katsina, Edo and Marine commands of the Agency for a job well done in the past week.

Mr Marwa tasked them and their compatriots nationwide not to rest on the achievements of 2024 but continue to raise the bar in their offensive action against drug barons and cartels.

This, he said, should be with an equal measure of WADA sensitisation campaigns in the new year.

(NAN)