The NDLEA spokesperson, Femi Babafemi, disclosed in a statement on Sunday that the 52-year-old businessman operates a boutique business in Lagos and Anambra states.

Babafemi disclosed that following credible intelligence, Ejiofor was arrested upon his arrival from Bangkok, Thailand, via Ethiopian Airlines flight ET 941 on Wednesday, and was subjected to a full-body scan, which showed that he had ingested substances suspected to be drugs.

He continued, “A total of 58 wraps of cocaine were immediately recovered from his pants, after which he was taken for excretion observation during which he egested 69 pellets of cocaine in seven excretions, bringing the total number of wraps of the Class A drug recovered from him to 127, weighing 1.388 kilograms.”

The NDLEA spokesperson added that another operation carried out by its operatives on Thursday and Friday led to the interception of three shipments of United Kingdom-bound illicit drugs at a warehouse in Lagos.

“One of the shipments, 1.74 kg of methamphetamine, was recovered from blocks of glass ceramics, while another shipment contains 114 grams and 168 grams of pentazocine and tramadol injections, respectively, and the third consignment contains 48 grams of tramadol capsules concealed in a Vitamin C container, all going to the UK.

“Bids by another set of criminal syndicates to ship 2.6 kg skunk and 422 grams tapentadol 250 mg concealed in tablets of black soap heading to Turkey; 169 grams of cocaine hidden in ladies’ handbags going to Australia; and 568 grams of Loud, a strong strain of cannabis concealed in containers of herbs going to United Arab Emirates were thwarted by NDLEA operatives at some courier companies in Lagos.”

He added that the NDLEA intercepted 27,510 pills of Rohypnol that were concealed in sachets of alcoholic drinks and bound for South Africa at the export shed of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos.

According to Babafemi, three suspects, including 46-year-old Samuel Omoruyi, a freight agent and a cab driver, were arrested in connection with the interception.

In another operation, the NDLEA said it arrested an Italy-based businessman, Enehizena Uyimwen, while attempting to export 3,700 pills of tramadol 225 mg and 2,600 tabs of tapentadol 200 mg hidden in food items to the European country, which he allegedly claimed he was trafficking for someone at a fee of €945.

The statement continued, “In Edo State, a raid of the home of a suspect, Emmanuel Sunday, 33, at Ugbekpe Ekperi in the Etsako Central LGA, led to the recovery of 47 kg skunk, a strain of cannabis.

“Two suspects: Nureni Ayobami Eleweodo, 48, and Oladejo Taiwo, 52, were arrested on Wednesday at Omifufun village, Ife South LGA, Osun State, following the seizure of 635 kilograms of skunk from their Toyota Hiace bus marked DDA65ZY. Two other suspects, Timothy Omiwole, 41, and Isaac Achiatan, 36, were nabbed at the same location with 100 kg of skunk recovered from them along with their motorcycle.

“While Okoro Julius, 20, and Onyebuchi Nwibo, 25, were arrested in different parts of Port Harcourt, Rivers State in connection with the seizure of 8.5 kg skunk on Friday, Sulaiman Kalalu, 46, was nabbed after 29.5 kg of the same substance was found in his house at Bayan Asiti, Jibia town, Katsina State on Saturday.”

He added that the NDLEA operation in Niger State on Wednesday led to the arrest of one Yisa Daniel at New Bussa, where 22,000 capsules of tramadol, 800 ampoules of pentazocine injection and 150,000 pills of Exol-5 were seized from him.

“A total of 312 kg of skunk was recovered from a bush at Ologede camp, Ogbese, Ondo State, while operatives on patrol along Benin–Lagos Expressway on Thursday intercepted two suspects, Francis John, 39, and Adeyemi Taiwo, 46, in a car conveying 141.8 kg of skunk.

“In Kaduna, a suspect, Rufai Ahmed, 27 (alias Farin Malam), was nabbed at Abuja/Kaduna toll gate while conveying 150,000 pills of Exol-5 from Lagos to Katsina,” Babafemi added.

He stressed that the agency had, during the week, continued its sensitisation efforts across schools, communities, and workplaces across the country.

While commending the officers and men of MMIA, MAKIA, DOGI, Kano, Edo, Rivers, Kaduna, Katsina, Niger, Ondo, and Osun Commands of the Agency for the arrests and seizures, Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig Gen Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd.) urged them and their compatriots across the country to maintain their tenacity, professionalism and balanced approach to the drug control efforts of the agency,” Babafemi concluded.