Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have arrested a businessman, Olisaka Chibuzo Calistus, at the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport (MAKIA) in Kano State for attempting to smuggle 256 wraps of cocaine weighing 6 kilograms into Nigeria.
In a statement released on Sunday, NDLEA spokesperson Femi Babafemi revealed that the seizure, made on December 15, 2024, is the single largest cocaine interception at the Kano airport since the creation of the MAKIA Command in 2006.
“The suspect, who claims to be an importer and exporter, was apprehended during the inward clearance of passengers on Ethiopian Airlines flight ET 941 from Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, via Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. A body scan revealed hundreds of cocaine pellets concealed in his body,” Babafemi stated.
In a separate operation, NDLEA operatives thwarted another drug trafficking attempt at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) in Lagos. An ex-convict, Olanrewaju Bada Akorede, was caught attempting to export Rohypnol tablets concealed in a cargo of gari, shoes, and men’s singlets to South Africa.
Akorode had previously been convicted in December 2023 for a similar offense involving 4.90kg of tramadol and 2.10kg of Rohypnol. He served two years in prison with an option of a ₦900,000 fine, which he paid before attempting to repeat the same crime.
In a third operation, an Italy-based businesswoman, Cynthia Akaeen, was arrested on December 18, 2024, while trying to board a Royal Air Maroc flight to Italy via Addis Ababa.
NDLEA officers at Terminal 2 of Lagos Airport discovered 9,190 tramadol tablets weighing 6 kilograms in her luggage.
According to Akaeen, she was promised €1,000 upon successful delivery of the consignment in Italy.
The NDLEA reiterated its commitment to intensifying operations to dismantle drug trafficking networks across Nigeria.
