The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested a 50-year-old widow and fashion designer, Mrs. Ifeoma Henrietta Ezewuike, for attempting to traffic 1.3 kilograms of cocaine disguised as a fake pregnancy. She was intercepted at Jibowu, Yaba, Lagos, while on her way to deliver the consignment to clients in Abuja.
A search of her residence in Okota led to the recovery of 200 grams of cutting agents.
The suspect, who runs a fashion outfit in Lagos, claimed she inherited the trade from her late husband.
In other operations, NDLEA officers intercepted 90 parcels of “Loud” cannabis weighing 48.6kg, imported from the United States and concealed in kitchen sinks at a courier company in Lagos.
In Adamawa, operatives raided the home of a notorious dealer, recovering over 354,000 pills of tramadol and seizing two vehicles, while his accomplice, Boniface Nnaji, 55, was arrested.
Across Kano, many arrests were made, with over 465,000 opioid pills and 140 litres of codeine syrup recovered.
While in Kogi, a suspect was caught ferrying opioids across the River Niger, while in Kwara, nearly 2,300kg of skunk were seized in multiple truck interceptions.
Arrests and seizures were recorded in Ekiti, Edo, Taraba, Delta, and Ondo states, where large cannabis farms and warehouses were destroyed, amounting to more than 73,000kg of illicit substances.
In Abuja, two dispatch riders were arrested during a stop-and-search operation in Jabi with skunk and pentazocine injections packaged for delivery.
NDLEA spokesperson, Femi Babafemi, confirmed the operations, describing them as part of ongoing nationwide efforts to curb drug trafficking and dismantle networks of illicit dealers.
Reporting by Nosa Aituamen