The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested a 50-year-old widow, Mrs. Ifeoma Henrietta Ezewuike, for attempting to traffic 1.3 kilograms of cocaine concealed with a fake pregnancy wrap in Lagos.
The Director, Media and Advocacy of the agency, Mr. Femi Babafemi, said in a statement on Sunday that Ezewuike, a fashion designer and mother of one, was apprehended on Friday, Aug. 22, at a bus terminal in Jibowu, Yaba area of Lagos while trying to transport the illicit substance to customers in Abuja.
According to Babafemi, “the widow, who is the proprietress of Golden Star Creation, a fashion outfit in Ago Palace Way, Okota, Lagos, was arrested with the cocaine consignment cleverly strapped to her stomach in a bid to fake pregnancy and evade scrutiny.”
He added that a follow-up operation at her residence in Ago Palace led to the recovery of 200 grams of a cutting agent used in the production of cocaine.
“In her statement, Mrs. Ezewuike claimed she inherited the criminal trade from her late husband, who died two years ago. She also disclosed that she had been in the fashion business for over 20 years,” Babafemi said.
The NDLEA spokesperson further disclosed that not less than 90 parcels of Loud, a potent strain of cannabis weighing 48.6kg and imported from the United States, were intercepted in Lagos on Aug. 19.
“The drug, concealed in three cartons of kitchen sinks, was intercepted at a courier company by NDLEA officers of the Directorate of Operation and General Investigation (DOGI),” Babafemi added.
He also said operatives arrested dispatch riders in Abuja for distributing illicit substances and carried out multiple raids and seizures across Adamawa, Kano, Kwara, Taraba, Delta, Ondo, Ekiti and Edo states, recovering over 825,000 pills of opioids and destroying over 75,000 kilograms of cannabis farms.
Highlighting some of the operations, Babafemi stated, “In Adamawa, operatives raided the home of a notorious dealer, Idris Garba, while his associate, Boniface Nnaji, 55, was arrested. In Kano, suspects were arrested with thousands of opioid capsules and bottles of codeine syrup, while in Kwara, over 2,200kg of skunk were intercepted in separate operations.”
He said similar operations in Delta, Edo, Ondo and Taraba states led to the destruction of massive cannabis plantations measuring over 25 hectares.
Meanwhile, two dispatch riders were arrested in Jabi, Abuja, on Aug. 21, for distributing illicit drugs, while various NDLEA commands continued with War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) advocacy activities nationwide.
