LAGOS, Nigeria (Chatnewstv.com) — A 50-year-old widow has been arrested in Lagos for allegedly attempting to traffic cocaine while disguising herself as a pregnant woman, Nigeria’s anti-narcotics agency said Sunday.
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) said Mrs. Ifeoma Henrietta Ezewuike, a fashion designer and mother of one, was caught Friday, Aug. 22, at a bus terminal in Jibowu, Yaba, with 1.3 kilograms of cocaine.
“She faked a pregnancy to avoid scrutiny, but our officers detected the drugs,” NDLEA spokesman Femi Babafemi said in a statement.
Ezewuike, who runs Golden Star Creation, a tailoring shop in Okota, Lagos, told investigators she inherited the drug trade from her late husband. A search of her home led to the recovery of 200 grams of a cutting agent used to process cocaine, the agency said.
The arrest was among several operations in recent days as NDLEA intensified its campaign against drug trafficking.
In Lagos, officers intercepted 90 parcels of Loud, a potent strain of cannabis imported from the United States and hidden in three cartons of kitchen sinks. The 48.6 kilograms of drugs were seized Aug. 19 from a courier company.
In Adamawa state, a raid on the home of a suspected dealer led to the recovery of a Toyota Tundra truck and more than 354,000 pills of tramadol. Another suspect was arrested while trying to flee.
Across the north, NDLEA reported seizures of thousands of opioid pills in Kano and Kogi states. In Kwara, nearly 2.3 metric tons of cannabis were seized in three separate truck interceptions.
The agency also destroyed large cannabis farms in Edo, Ondo, Delta and Taraba states. Officials said more than 75,000 kilograms of skunk were eradicated from plantations and warehouses across the four states.
Two motorcycle dispatch riders were also arrested in Abuja for delivering illicit drugs in the capital, NDLEA said.
NDLEA Chairman Mohamed Buba Marwa praised the officers for what he called their “dexterity and commitment” and urged them to maintain “a balanced approach to drug control.”
