NDLEA tracks down fleeing auto dealers, recovers 77.50kg cocaine, phenacetin

Stanley Ihedigbo

Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have successfully apprehended Levi Chidiebele Ubodoeze, an automobile spare parts dealer, in connection with a recent attempt to smuggle two kilograms of cocaine hidden in vehicle propellers to Angola.

The arrest comes barely three weeks after the NDLEA launched a manhunt for Ubodoeze, who was also found to be connected to a 77.50kg cocaine and phenacetin seizure.

According to the Director, Media & Advocacy, NDLEA, Femi Babafemi, following the seizure of the cocaine consignment at a logistics company in Aspanda, Trade Fair Complex, Ojo area of Lagos on 21st February 2025, swift contacts were made with Angolan authorities who in turn arrested the supposed recipient of the illicit drug in Angola, after which the identity of the sender was unraveled.

As a result, NDLEA operatives on Thursday, 6th March, tracked Ubodoeze to his house in the Ago palace way area of Isolo, Lagos, where he was caught in a KIA Sport Utility Vehicle trying to escape.

A search of the vehicle led to the recovery of a large quantity of phenacetin, a cutting agent for cocaine weighing 75.50 kilograms packaged and branded as semolina, while a digital scale used in weighing illicit drugs was recovered from his house.

In his statement, Ubodoeze admitted dealing in cocaine while selling motor spare parts at Ladipo market, Mushin area of Lagos.

He stated that the supposed recipient of the illicit consignment in Angola alerted him the moment he was arrested in Angola hence his bid to evacuate his house and flee from the area shortly before NDLEA officers swooped on him.

Meanwhile, NDLEA operatives at the import shed of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, MMIA, Ikeja Lagos, have intercepted a cargo of cannabis candies imported from the United Kingdom and meant for sale at a Kiddies Mart, located at 46 Ogunlana Drive, Surulere, Lagos.

The consignment was seized on 27th February upon its arrival as a consolidated cargo on Allied Airways. A preliminary field test and subsequent forensic analysis of the candies established that the substance was laced with a strong strain of cannabis.

As a result, the recipient of the shipment, Adedamola Taylor, was arrested on Tuesday 4th, March after the initial arrest of a freight agent.

In his statement, Adedamola claimed the consignment was sent to him by his UK-based brother, Babatunde Alabi, to deliver to one Musurat Lawal, who operates the Kiddies shop owned by Alabi in the Surulere area of Lagos. A follow-up operation at the shop led to the arrest of Musurat.

Two suspects, China Michael and Igbo Ekene, were arrested on Friday 7th, March, when their commercial truck was intercepted by NDLEA operatives at the Shibiri area of Ojo, Lagos.

A search of the vehicle revealed 248 compressed blocks of Ghanaian Loud, a strain of cannabis, weighing 128kg, were concealed in the underbelly of the truck.

In another interdiction operation in Lagos, three suspects, Osinachi Nwachukwu, Tochukwu Okafor Christian, and John Ugochukwu Mbakwe, were on Friday 7th, March 7, at Mosalasi junction, Mushin, with 301,600 pills of tramadol and other opioids.

In Kano, 65-year-old Yahaya Haruna was nabbed with 19.2kg skunk along Gadar Tamburawa road on Thursday 6th March while 60-year-old Musa Bello (a.k.a Jajere) was arrested with 212 bottles of codeine-based syrup at Medile, Kumbotso local council area.

No fewer than 442,594 pills of tramadol and other opioids, as well as 1,274 bottles of codeine syrup, were recovered by NDLEA operatives who raided the house and warehouse of a 37-year-old suspect, Blessing Okoronkwo, at 19 Ubani Street, Aba, Abia state on Tuesday 4th March.

In Benue state, 50,000 pills of tramadol and excel-5 were recovered from two suspects, Nwaeze Onyeabor, 47, and Tombo Thomas, 23, on Wednesday, 5th March, when their vehicle was intercepted by NDLEA operatives at Ugbema junctionKatsina-Alala area of the state.

In Osun state, a suspect, Asimiyu Muibi, 50, was arrested on Tuesday 4th, March with 162kg skunk at Modakeke, Ife East local government area, while 95kg of the same substance was recovered from a Toyota Camry car marked KSF 72 GW during a raid in Ede same day.

A suspect, Etim Esien Stephen, 55, was arrested when NDLEA officers on Wednesday 5th, March, raided the Amahor community forest in the Igueben area of Edo State, where 9,514.625kg skunk was destroyed on 3.805846 hectares of cannabis farmland.

With the same vigour, Commands and formations of the Agency across the country continued their War Against Drug Abuse, WADA, sensitization activities to schools, worship centres, work places and communities among others in the past week.

These include: WADA sensitisation lecture to students and staff of Model High School, Amaechi, Enugu; Bengy Secondary School, Agege, Lagos; Sunshine Secondary School, Nku Udo Eno, Akwa Ibom; and Government Day Secondary School, Dong, Adamawa state, among others.

While commending the officers and men of MMIA, Lagos, Kano, Abia, Benue, Osun, and Edo Commands of the Agency for the arrests and seizures, Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd) stated that their operational successes and those of their compatriots across the country, especially their balanced approach to drug supply reduction and drug demand reduction efforts, are well appreciated.