March 09, (THEWILL) – Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have arrested an automobile spare parts dealer, Levi Chidiebele Ubodoeze, over a recent attempt to export two kilograms of cocaine concealed in vehicle propellers to Angola.
The spokesperson of the agency, Femi Babafemi, who disclosed this in a statement on Sunday, said the arrest followed the seizure of the cocaine consignment at a logistics company in Aspanda, Trade Fair Complex, Ojo area of Lagos on February 21, 2025.
Following the seizure, “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 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 confessed 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.
Preliminary field tests 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 his UK-based brother, Babatunde Alabi, sent him the consignment to deliver to Musurat Lawal, who operates Alabi’s Kiddies shop in the Surulere area of Lagos. A follow-up operation at the shop led to Musurat’s arrest.
Similarly, two suspects, China Michael and Igbo Ekene, were arrested on Friday, 7th March, when NDLEA operatives intercepted their commercial truck 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, 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 arrested on Friday, 7th March, 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 exol-5 were recovered from two suspects: Nwaeze Onyeabor, 47, and Tombo Thomas, 23, on Wednesday, 5th March, when NDLEA operatives intercepted their vehicle at Ugbema junction, Katsina Ala 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 on the same day.
Also, 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, sensitisation activities to schools, worship centres, workplaces 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.
Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd) commended the officers and men of MMIA, Lagos, Kano, Abia, Benue, Osun and Edo Commands of the Agency for the arrests and seizure. He appreciated their operational successes and those of their compatriots across the country, especially their efforts towards the reduction of drug supply and demand.
Felix Ifijeh is a journalist with years of professional reporting experience. Known for his keen news sense, compelling storytelling and commitment to accurate, impactful reporting, he has built a reputation for turning leads into clear, engaging, and well-structured reports that resonate with readers. His work reflects deep newsroom experience and a commitment to accurate, impactful journalism.
