By Seyi Odewale

Men of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, (NDLEA) have arrested a fake couple, Kingsley, and Roseline Ilonzeh for ingesting 184 wraps of cocaine.

The NDLEA Director, Media, and Advocacy, Mr Femi Babafemi, who disclosed this in a statement yesterday in Abuja said the suspected drug traffickers were purportedly going for medical treatment in India.

According to Babafemi, the drugs weighed 3.322Kg, while another 100 grammes of the drug was concealed in the woman’s private part, adding that the two suspects were intercepted at the Screening Point 1, Terminal 1 of the international wing of the Lagos airport on August 1, while attempting to board an Ethiopian airline flight to India.

Babafemi further said though their travel documents showed consistency in their names and depicted them as a couple, an NDLEA officer, however, decided to subject them to body scan.

He said the scan confirmed that the couple ingested drugs as a result of which they were later placed on excretion observation at the agency’s facility.

“Their travel documents identify the man as Ilonzeh Kingsley Onyebuchi and the lady to be Ilonzeh Roseline Nonyelum,

“Preliminary investigation reveals that the intended passengers are not a couple but obtained the travel documents in the same surname to beat security checks at the airport.

“The lady later gave her real name as Ngogbike Nkechi. During the interview, she confessed that she was recruited in her Church in Aba, Abia where she lives.

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“The suspect, Ilonzeh Roseline Nonyelum (aka Ngogbike Nkechi) states further that she is a divorcee and that Kingsley, with whom she is travelling is not her husband but connected only for the purpose of the illicit drug business trip.

“She said Kingsley, her arranged husband brought the pellets of cocaine to ingest her in the hotel where they both lodged in separate rooms on July 31,” he said.

The NDLEA spokesperson said after their arrest, a thorough search conducted on her led to the discovery of a big size wrap of cocaine that weighed 100 grammes which she inserted into her private part, adding that the suspected drug trafficker confessed that she was promised $5,000 upon successful delivery of the drug in India.

Babafemi said in his own statement, Kingsley, who was into clothing business in Onitsha, Anambra State claimed he was promised $2,000 after a successful delivery of the drug in India.

“A further search of the agency’s crime database reveals that Kingsley also obtained his travel documents with fake identity for the trip.

“Indeed, it has been established that he was arrested by NDLEA operatives at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport Abuja on March 19, 2022, for ingesting 100 wraps of cocaine weighing 2.243kgs upon his arrival from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on board an Ethiopian airline flight.

“His travel documents then contained his real name: Uwaezuoke Ikenna Christian,” he said.

He noted that after his arrest at the Abuja airport on March 19, 2022, with another suspect, Iro Elvis Uche, who also ingested 65 wraps of cocaine with a gross weight of 1.376kgs, Uwaezuoke was subsequently arraigned.

Babafemi said he was arraigned before Justice Zainab Abubakar of the Federal High Court Abuja with charge number: FHC/ABJ/CR/438/2022, adding that the suspect was eventually granted bail by the court, pending the conclusion of his trial.

“He was still on court bail when he was arrested at the Lagos airport for a similar offence on August 1. Ilonzeh Kingsley Onyebuchi (aka Uwaezuoke Ikenna Christian) excreted a total of 82 wraps of cocaine with a gross weight of 1.822kgs in five excretions.

“Ilonzeh Roseline Nonyelum (aka Ngogbike Nkechi) ingested 101 wraps in four excretions with a big size wrap of the substance recovered from her private part, all weighing 1.50kgs,” he said.

In another development, the drug law agency said it has intercepted 57,450 pills of tramadol, rohypnol and exol-5 along Abaji-Abuja highway from a suspect, Mr Joseph Usman.

According to Babafemi, 4,082 bottles of codeine-based syrup were also recovered from a suspect, Joseph Usman, adding that the suspect was arrested in a commercial bus coming from Onitsha, Anambra State, to Abuja last Friday.

Meanwhile, the NDLEA operatives of the Directorate of Operations and General Investigation (DOGI), attached to courier companies in Lagos have intercepted various quantities of Dextromethorphan.

Babafemi said the drugs were mixed with heroin, Methamphetamine, Dimethyl Sulfone and Cannabis and concealed in different objects bound for Europe.

He said 272 grams of dextromethorphan, mixed with heroin going to Greece were recovered from white neck beads, adding that 665 grams of cannabis being shipped to Hong Kong were hidden in bars of Dudu Osun black bathing soap.

He added that 261 grams of Dimethyl Sulfone bound for New Zealand hidden in reels of weaving threads and 1.5kgs of Methamphetamine also heading to New Zealand were intercepted.

“The drugs were neatly packed in an MP3 player after all the parts were removed and the substance stuffed as replacement,” he said.

Also, in Kano State, a woman and four men – Ladi Peter,47; Umar Salisu, 38; Ahmed Naheeb, 36; Ibrahim Umar, 42, and Musa Suleman, 43, have been arrested for drug related issues.

Babafemi said the suspects were intercepted in connection with the seizure of 977.7 kilograms of cannabis sativa recovered from them by NDLEA operatives, adding that they were arrested along Zaria-Kano Road, Kwanar Dangora last Friday and July 31.

In the same vein, 2,445 kilograms of cannabis sativa were recovered from the warehouse of a fleeing suspect, Usman Nar at Madinatu area of Jere LGA, Borno state on Saturday August