The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested a 50-year-old widow and fashion designer, Mrs. Ifeoma Henrietta Ezewuike, for attempting to traffic 1.3 kilograms of cocaine concealed under a fake pregnancy belly.
The suspect was apprehended on Friday, August 22, at a bus terminal in Jibowu, Yaba, Lagos, while en route to deliver the illicit substance to clients in Abuja.
According to a statement released on Sunday by Femi Babafemi, Director of Media and Advocacy at NDLEA Headquarters, Ezewuike is the proprietress of Golden Star Creation, a fashion outlet located on Ago Palace Way, Okota.
A follow-up search of her residence led to the recovery of 200 grams of a cutting agent used in cocaine processing.
The suspect claimed she inherited the drug trade from her late husband, though she has operated in the fashion industry for two decades.
In a separate operation, NDLEA officers intercepted 90 parcels of Loud, a potent strain of cannabis weighing 48.6kg, concealed in three cartons of kitchen sinks at a courier facility in Lagos. The consignment was reportedly imported from the United States.
Nationwide, the agency conducted multiple raids and seizures between August 19 and 23:
Adamawa: A raid in Yola South led to the arrest of Boniface Nnaji, 55, and the recovery of 354,480 pills of tramadol, two vehicles, and other controlled substances.
Kogi: Officers seized 5,000 capsules of tramadol, 400 ampoules of pentazocine, and 200 ampoules of diazepam from a suspect who crossed the River Niger from Onitsha to Lokoja.
Kano: Five suspects were arrested, with over 450,000 opioid pills and 140 litres of codeine syrup recovered.
Kwara: Three separate operations yielded 2,289.49kg of skunk, with five suspects arrested in Ajase-Ipo and Ifelodun LGAs.
Ekiti: Two suspects were arrested in Ikere-Ekiti with 96kg of skunk.
Taraba: NDLEA and Civil Defence Corps destroyed 7,500kg of skunk cultivated on three hectares in Bali LGA.
Edo: A warehouse raid led to the arrest of a female suspect and the recovery of 901kg of skunk. Additionally, 14,233.37kg of skunk was destroyed on plantations in Owan West LGA.
Delta: Supported by the military, NDLEA destroyed 25,500kg of skunk on four plantations in Ndokwa West LGA.
Ondo: Another 25,025kg of skunk was destroyed on three farms in Uso area.
FCT Abuja: Two dispatch riders were arrested in Jabi with pentazocine injections and packaged skunk.
Reacting to the nationwide operations, NDLEA Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), commended the agency’s operatives for their dedication and professionalism.
He urged officers across the country to maintain momentum in the agency’s balanced approach to drug control, combining enforcement with public education.
