Sept. 14, 2025
An Indian businessman Gupta Ravi Kumar and their three Nigerian accomplices have been arrested by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) in connection with the seizure of 2,248,000 pills of tramadol intercepted at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) Ikeja Lagos.
In a statement on Sunday by the spokesperson of the NDLEA, Femi Babafemi their Nigerian accomplices are: Ogunlana Noah Olanrewaju, Olushola Idrees Kayode and Bakare Korede Muheeb.
A team of NDLEA officers who had put the consignment under surveillance however swooped on a clearing agent and two drivers who were trying to move the shipment out of the airport in two trucks on Thursday 11th September.
A follow up operation the following day, Friday led to the arrest of the Indian businessman Gupta Ravi Kumar, when he was trying to take delivery of the consignment.
At the terminal 2 departure gate of the airport, NDLEA operatives on Sunday 7th September intercepted a passenger Onyeganochi Stanley Ifeanyi travelling on a Qatar Airline flight to Doha.
A search of his bag led to the recovery of 900grams of skunk, a strain of cannabis concealed in crayfish. As a first-time traveler, Onyeganochi claimed the bag was given to him to help take to Doha by a Qatar-based Nigerian Ohadiegwu Anthony Uchenna who actually followed him to the airport.
His confession led to the arrest of Uchenna who was still within view. Operatives who later conducted a search of Uchenna’s hotel room in Ajao estate discovered additional 200grams of the same psychoactive substance.
He claimed he was to return to Doha days later and pick the bag from the unsuspecting Onyeganochi if he had succeeded escaping security checks.
In like manner, Commands and formations of the Agency across the country continued their War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) sensitization activities to schools, worship centres, work places and communities among others in the past week.
These include: WADA sensitization lecture to drivers at Onitsha South Motors park, Enugu North, Enugu state; Islamic faithful at Otu Central Mosque, Otu, Oyo state; students and staff of Salamah International School, Malumfashi, Katsina; Islamic faithful at Wawa Central Mosque, Wawa town, Niger state, while the Ogun state command of NDLEA paid a WADA advocacy visit to the Osile Oke-Ona Egba, Oba Adedapo Adewale Tejuosho, Karounwi III, among others.
While commending the officers and men of MMIA, DOGI, Tincan, Lagos, Oyo, Edo, Kano, FCT, Anambra, Yobe, and Ogun Commands for the arrests, and seizures, Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd) enjoined them and their colleagues across the country to continue with the ongoing balanced approach to the drug control efforts of the Agency.
