Italy based businessman excretes 98 wraps of cocaine – NDLEA
Businessman Arrested for Cocaine Ingestion at Enugu Airport
ENUGU, Nigeria — Joseph Cyril, a 30-year-old businessman based in Italy, was arrested on Sunday at Akanu Ibiam International Airport by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) for allegedly ingesting 98 wraps of cocaine.
Femi Babafemi, Director of Media and Advocacy at NDLEA, announced the arrest in a statement issued on Sunday. Cyril was apprehended during the clearance process for passengers boarding an Ethiopian Airlines flight (ET930).
After his arrest, Cyril was placed under observation for excretion, during which he expelled a total of 98 wraps of cocaine weighing 1.510 kilograms. NDLEA’s investigations revealed that Cyril had arrived in Nigeria from Italy on July 13. He reportedly ingested the drugs while staying at a hotel in Awka, Anambra State, before traveling to Enugu.
Cyril claimed he agreed to transport the drugs for €3,500 in hopes of raising money to relocate to Germany, where his family resides.
In related developments, the NDLEA reported several significant drug seizures across various locations in Nigeria.
In Lagos, agents at a courier facility prevented the exportation of 1.2 kilograms of cocaine hidden inside 25 phone chargers bound for Saudi Arabia. A separate attempt to ship 500 grams of cocaine concealed within the false bottom of a backpack to Italy was also intercepted on Monday, August 3. Additionally, 2.3 kilograms of a synthetic cannabis strain known as Loud was seized at another shipping company in Lagos on Tuesday, August 4.
In Ondo State, officers on patrol along the Akure-Ilesha Expressway intercepted a truck containing 1,633 kilograms of skunk concealed in bags of rice shafts. Two suspects, 40-year-old Buba Jamilu and 30-year-old Sanusi Ibrahim, were arrested. An additional 147 kilograms of skunk was recovered from the Ita Ogbolu forest during a raid on August 3.
In Oyo State, NDLEA operatives raided a drug warehouse in Elebure village on Monday, recovering 731.03 kilograms of cannabis. Felicia Thompson, a 57-year-old suspect, was arrested, while her alleged accomplice, Thompson Vincent Nwaka, remains at large.
In Edo State, NDLEA officers, with assistance from military personnel, recovered 65 bags of skunk weighing 604.5 kilograms in Owan West Local Government Area on August 5.
Chibuike Charles, a 31-year-old operator of a drug joint, was arrested in Abia State during a raid on August 6, with approximately 7 kilograms of skunk confiscated.
On August 8, NDLEA apprehended wanted drug dealer Adome Claude Sikuru in Badagry, after a three-month manhunt. Officers recovered 88.5 kilograms of skunk from him.
In a separate operation at the Tincan Port Complex in Lagos, NDLEA, in collaboration with the Nigeria Customs Service, seized 73 cartons containing 442 packets of cannabis-infused cookies and gummies, weighing 309.4 kilograms, on August 4. Larry Nnaji was arrested in connection with this seizure.
The NDLEA continues its “War Against Drug Abuse” (WADA) initiative, conducting sensitization activities in schools, religious institutions, and communities nationwide. Recent outreach efforts included educational sessions at Islamic High School in Saki, Holy Ghost Academy in Nkpor, and Madarasatul Hidayatul Aulad Islamiyya in Gaya, Kano State.
Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (rtd.), Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, commended the agency’s operatives for their successful operations and encouraged continued dedication to a balanced approach in drug control efforts.
