Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have arrested a 27-year-old man, Kingsley John, after allegedly discovering cocaine concealed inside a wrap of fufu on a wooden boat intercepted while heading from Akwa Ibom State towards Cameroon. The arrest took place on Friday, according to a statement by NDLEA spokesperson Femi Babafemi on Sunday.
Suspects and Seizures
John was arrested alongside two other men during the interception of the wooden boat, which was allegedly heading towards Ine Isu, Ine Mbah and Ine Ikot Itie Udung, fishing ports in Cameroon. The NDLEA stated that John had 20 grammes of cocaine hidden inside a large wrap of edible cassava flour, as well as 435 grammes of skunk, a strain of cannabis.
The two other suspects were identified as Etima Effiong Eekpo, 29, and Otobong Eyoh Etukudoh, 33. The agency said Eekpo was found with 1.12kg of skunk, while Etukudoh had 42.06kg. In total, 42.622kg of illicit drugs was recovered from the three men.
Intelligence-Led Operation
The interception followed intelligence on the movement of the boat towards the fishing settlements in Cameroon, according to the agency. The operation is part of the NDLEA's efforts to stop Nigeria's waterways from being used to move illicit drugs across national borders.
This operation comes days after the NDLEA announced the seizure of 184.5kg of cocaine worth about N39 billion in Lagos. That consignment, valued at about $27.7 million, was intercepted while being processed for export through a courier company, the agency said.
Related Cocaine Seizure in Lagos
The Lagos seizure led to the arrest of two suspected members of an international drug trafficking network, including Afolabi Kazeem Michael, popularly known as KC Luxury. The NDLEA Chairman, Buba Marwa, described Michael as the Nigerian "arrowhead" of the alleged syndicate.
Michael, a businessman and social media personality, was arrested on 13 August at the boarding gate of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos, where he was about to board a business-class flight to Paris, according to Marwa. Operatives allegedly recovered €7,750, £2,800 and N100,000 in cash, as well as jewellery, from him.
The agency also searched his apartment on Banana Island, Lagos, where it said exotic vehicles and other assets were recovered. Marwa, a retired brigadier general, stated that the investigation showed that the syndicate allegedly moved cocaine from South America through Nigeria to the United Kingdom, Europe and Asia. He said investigators were working with foreign counterparts and that some members of the network had already been arrested abroad.
Commendation and Next Steps
Marwa commended the officers involved in the Akwa Ibom operation and urged them to sustain the crackdown on drug trafficking. The NDLEA continues to pursue similar operations to curb the use of Nigerian waterways and airports for illicit drug movement.
