The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, (NDLEA) says it has arrested a 56-year-old trafficker, Lawal Oyenuga who was on a mission to deliver 400 grams of class A drug concealed in a pair of palm sandals in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
The agency also nabbed a wanted notorious kingpin, Wasiu Gbolahan popularly known as Teacher, who recruits mules for the drug cartel.
Spokesman of the NDLEA, Femi Babafemi, in a statement on Sunday, said operatives attached to the screening point of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos had on Thursday, November 24, intercepted one Lawal Oyenuga with a pair of black palm sandals packed in the luggage he was going with to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia via Addis Ababa on an Ethiopian Airways flight.
Babafemi said a thorough examination of the sandals revealed they were used to conceal two parcels of cocaine weighing 400 grams.
“This is barely a week after a 56-year-old widow and mother of four, Ajisegiri Sidika was arrested at the airport over her attempt to traffic 400 grams of cocaine concealed in her footwear to Makkah, Saudi Arabia on board a Qatar Airways flight.
In his statement, Oyenuga claimed he was recruited to traffic the drug by Wasiu Gbolahan popularly known as Teacher, adding that he was first given some pellets of cocaine to swallow but when he couldn’t do that, he was then given the ones concealed in the sandals.
“He said he resorted to the criminal trade to raise money to pay an examination fee for his daughter who is in Senior Secondary School class 3.
“The agency’s database reveals Wasiu Sanni (Teacher) has been linked to some previous attempts to traffic cocaine to Saudi Arabia and Dubai, UAE.
Read also: NDLEA recovers hard drugs, arrests blind Nigerien, son
“He was earlier named as the one who recruited a BRT driver, Bolajoko Muyiwa Babalola for Lagos socialite and owner of Adekaz Hotels, Ademola Afolabi Kazeem (a.k.a Alhaji Abdallah Kazeem Muhammed) to traffic drugs to Dubai.
“Bolajoko was arrested on June 27 while taking 900 grams of cocaine to Dubai while Ademola Kazeem was nabbed on Thursday, November 10, barely 10 days after he was declared wanted by NDLEA.
According to the NDLEA, a follow-up “operation in the early hours of Friday, November 25 led to the arrest of the kingpin, Teacher, who specialises in recruiting mules for drug barons in Lagos and its environs at his residence located in Ikorodu area of Lagos.
“The 64-year-old Wasiu Gbolahan is a housing and property agent, with seven children and four wives, one of whom is now late
In another follow-up operation to the seizure of 1.10kg cannabis concealed in bottles of body cream going to Dubai on September 9, the actual owner of the consignment, whose name was given as Wordu Chukwuemeka, runs a boutique business in Port Harcourt, Rivers State was arrested on Thursday, November 24,
“In the same vein, operatives attached to NAHCO import shed of the Lagos airport on Tuesday, November 22, intercepted a consolidated cargo from Johannesburg, South Africa via an Airpeace Airline flight.
“The cargo contained different items, including cloths, cereals, baby toys, drinks, and a set of two big black speakers, which were used to conceal 25 parcels of Loud variant of cannabis, with a gross weight of 5.5kg
Similarly, operatives attached to the SAHCO export shed of the airport the same Tuesday intercepted a carton of food items used to conceal 500 grams of cannabis going to Dubai, UAE while the owner, Uzoma Kingsley was arrested.
