The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) in its weekly review has revealed it arrested two Qatar based drug barons, a female pharmacist and others engaged in drug related offences, at different locations in the country.
This was contained in a Sunday statement by Femi Babafemi, NDLEA Director, Media and Advocacy in Abuja.
Babafemi disclosed that two drug barons named Eyah Celestine Nnamdi also known as Murphy and Ugwuoke Peter Oluchukwu were both arrested after a consignment of methamphetamine, intercepted at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) Ikeja, Lagos was traced to them.
Ugwuoke who tried to disguise by travelling with an Ivorian international passport and claiming to be Hien Narcisse was arrested on June 9, during the outward clearance of Qatar Airways passengers.
During clearance, two parcels of crystalline substance that tested positive to methamphetamine weighing 1.00kg were discovered at a false bottom concealment of a carry-on luggage, Ugwuoke had on him.
The suspect confessed during interrogation that though he uses the Ivorian passport for his travels, he is a Nigerian.
He further confessed that he travelled to Qatar in August 2022 and returned in April to traffick the drug consignment with the training from his Qatar-based senior accomplice, named Murphy.
Ugwuoke told operatives of NDLEA that Murphy was also in the country, in his hometown in Eziani, Nsukka LGA, Enugu State.
With this revelation, a manhunt was lunched and Murphy with real identity Eyah Celestine Nnamdi was arrested by operatives of NDLEA.
Ugwuoke who hails from Igboeze North Local Government Area of Enugu State claims he holds a National Diploma in Electrical Engineering from the Federal Polytechnic Oko, Anambra state while Murphy said he was resident in Indonesia, where he lived for some years before relocating to Doha, Qatar.
Similarly, a consignment of six cartons of pentazocine injection with 2,000 ampules intercepted at the local wing of the MMIA, Ikeja while being sent to Kaduna by a freight agent has been traced to a 37-year-old female Pharmacist named Ikwebe Ori Hellen.
Hellen, who was arrested in Kaduna confessed to the anti-narcotics officers that she faked the documents of a Kaduna hospital and used same to order the drug, which she intended distributing in Kaduna, Abuja and Sokoto.
Babafemi also disclosed that others arrested for drug related offences at different locations in the country include Jekwe Udenze, Gabriel Nzekwube, Chima Uzoma, Kingsley Atuola, Okikiolu Adekunle, Osai Doris, Ublenu Joy, Malachy Amaechi, Nanmua Peter, Ojo Momoh, Afam Luke, John Danladi, Godwin Ejiro, John Emmanuel, Kwada Vendi, Tony Ogbonna, Chidera Gabriel.
Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa has commended his officers for their vigilance and professionalism in the discharge of their responsibilities.
Marwa charged them to intensify efforts in the fight against drugs.