Businessman Sells Marble Business, Assets To Fund ₦23m Cocaine Deal

Businessman Sells Marble Business, Assets To Fund ₦23m Cocaine Deal – NDLEA
Cocaine concealed in luggage bound for India
Uncovers ₦2.6bn codeine warehouse, arrests alleged drug kingpin

A 48-year-old businessman, Nwankwo Innocent Onyebuchi, has been arrested by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency for allegedly attempting to smuggle 1.550kg of cocaine to New Delhi, India.

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Eko Hot Blog reports that Onyebuchi, a marble dealer in Lagos, was arrested at the departure hall of Terminal II of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport while preparing to board a Qatar Airways flight to India.

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According to the NDLEA, the cocaine was concealed inside the side walls and railings of his check-in luggage.

The agency said a search of the bag led to the discovery of the 1.550kg consignment, which had been factory-fitted into the luggage.

During interrogation, Onyebuchi reportedly confessed that he sold his marble business and other assets to raise ₦23m to purchase the cocaine.

Businessman Sells Marble Business, Assets To Fund ₦23m Cocaine Deal - NDLEA

He allegedly planned to sell the consignment in India for as much as ₦100m.

His plan was, however, disrupted following his arrest. He remains in NDLEA custody pending prosecution.

In another operation in Lagos, NDLEA operatives acting on intelligence raided a warehouse within a residential compound at Hakeem Dosumu Street, Ago Palace area of Okota.

The operation, conducted between August 7 and 8, resulted in the seizure of 3,776 cartons containing 377,600 bottles of codeine-based syrup valued at more than ₦2.6bn.

The agency also reported the arrest of a 55-year-old alleged drug kingpin, Shoremi Kayode, during a raid on his residence at Ipaja Estate, Lagos.

NDLEA said 324kg of Colorado, a synthetic strain of cannabis, valued at ₦972m, was recovered during the operation. A Mercedes-Benz and Toyota Corolla were also seized.

The agency reported additional arrests and seizures in Kwara, Oyo, Delta, Plateau, Kano and Edo states.

In Kwara, Abubakar Adamu, 50, and Bilyaminu Nuhu, 30, were arrested with 55.96kg of skunk in Ilorin.

In Oyo, Abdulfatai Oyelaran, 70, and Abdulrauf Ajadi, 50, were arrested on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway with 52,000 ampoules of pentazocine and 6,000 ampoules of tramadol.

In Delta, 2 suspects were arrested with 124,100 tramadol pills, 786 bottles of codeine syrup, 2,598 tablets of Rohypnol, 4,800 tablets of diazepam, 470 ampoules of pentazocine and 200 ampoules of tramadol.

Another suspect, Emeka Tony, 50, was arrested along the Kwale-Ozoro Expressway with 1,244 cartridges and ₦8m.

In Plateau, NDLEA recovered 239,490 capsules of Tramaforce, a brand of tramadol, from a Toyota Corolla intercepted along the Riyom-Jos Road and arrested Kasum Sherif.

In Kano, 6 suspects were arrested along the Zaria-Kano Road with 728,958 pills of tramadol, Rohypnol and other opioids, as well as 360g of cocaine, 99.8g of methamphetamine, 50 bottles of codeine syrup and 2.7kg of Loud.

The agency also recovered 171 blocks of skunk weighing 106.8kg in Kumbotso, Kano State, leading to the arrest of 2 suspects.

In Edo, NDLEA destroyed 4,628.9775kg of skunk from 2 cannabis farms covering 1.851591 hectares in the Ugboku/Igbanke forest in Orhionmwon Local Government Area.

Agholor Elebojie, 40, was arrested at one of the farms.

Businessman Sells Marble Business, Assets To Fund ₦23m Cocaine Deal - NDLEA

Another suspect, Kingsley Anigala, 28, was arrested in Benin City with 25.857kg of Loud and 93g of methamphetamine.

NDLEA Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd.), commended personnel of the agency’s commands involved in the operations.

Marwa also praised officers across the country for maintaining what he described as a balance between efforts to reduce the supply of illicit drugs and demand for them.