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 pregnancy in Lagos.

 

According to a statement on Sunday by Femi Babafemi, Director of Media & Advocacy, NDLEA Headquarters, Ezewuike was arrested on Friday, August 22, at a bus terminal in Jibowu, Yaba, while trying to deliver the cocaine consignment to customers in Abuja. A follow-up raid on her residence in Ago Palace, Okota, led to the recovery of 200 grams of cutting agent used in cocaine processing.

 

The suspect, a mother of one and proprietor of Golden Star Creation fashion outfit, confessed she inherited the illicit trade from her late husband, though she had operated as a fashion designer for 20 years.

 

In other operations across the country, NDLEA operatives intercepted large consignments of narcotics and arrested several suspects:

 

Lagos: 90 parcels of Loud (48.6kg of cannabis) concealed in kitchen sink cartons imported from the U.S. were seized on August 19.

 

Adamawa: A notorious dealer, Idris Garba, escaped arrest, but his associate, Boniface Nnaji (55), was arrested with 354,480 tramadol pills and other opioids.

 

Kogi: 5,000 tramadol capsules and hundreds of injection ampoules were seized from Neche Okonkwo at Idah waterside on August 20.

 

Kano: Multiple arrests between August 19–23 led to the recovery of 452,070 opioid pills, 5,850 pregabalin capsules, 140 litres of codeine syrup, and 7,000 tramadol capsules.

 

Kwara: 2,289.49kg of skunk cannabis were seized in three separate truck interceptions at Ajase-Ipo between August 20–21.

 

Ekiti: Two suspects were nabbed with 96kg of skunk.

 

Taraba, Edo, Delta, and Ondo: Over 73,000kg of cannabis plantations across nearly 26 hectares were destroyed in joint operations with security agencies.

 

Abuja (FCT): Two dispatch riders were arrested on August 21 for distributing illicit drugs, including pentazocine injections and packaged skunk.

 

 

NDLEA Chairman, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), praised the operatives for their nationwide successes and urged continued commitment to the agency’s balanced approach in combating drug trafficking.