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By Emmanuel Agaji

There’s no method drug peddlers will not adopt to beat NDLEA operatives using many unconventional ways of concealing the substance of death they traffic.

But the operatives too have a solution to all the concealment methods as captured in this video.

In this clip, drugs were concealed in plantain peels but this did not escape the eyes of Gen Marwa men.

Watch:

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. As NDLEA intercepts Malaysia-bound cocaine shipments hidden in walls of Orijin bitters cartons, arrests PhD student mastermind; nabs 75-year-old grandpa in Plateau, recovers large tramadol consignments in vehicle fuel tanks

A 67-year-old Nigerian-British grandma Mrs. Mary Yetunde Barek have been arrested by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) following the discovery of 13 kilograms of cocaine concealed in peels of plantain which appeared as real plantains and packed among other food items in her luggage at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) Ikeja Lagos.

The suspect who works as a caregiver in the United Kingdom was arrested at the departure hall of terminal 2 of the Lagos airport while attempting to board a Virgin Atlantic airline flight to London on Sunday 28th June 2026. A thorough search of her bags resulted in the discovery of 31 big wraps of cocaine which were packaged to appear like plantain hands, weighing a total of 13 kilograms. In her statement, the elderly woman admitted full ownership of the recovered cocaine exhibits.

Meanwhile, a sting operation in Ekwusigo Local Government Area of Anambra State on Monday 29th June 2026 has resulted in the arrest of a 45-year-old PhD student at the University of Putra, Malaysia, Nwabueze Felix Onyeka over the seizure of 5.80 kilograms of cocaine concealed in walls of nine cartons of Orijin bitters, a consignment that was part of a consolidated cargo heading to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

The arrest of Nwabueze in Anambra state followed the interception of 36 parcels of cocaine, with a gross weight of 5.80 kilograms, concealed within the walls of the herbal drink cartons. Four suspects initially arrested in parts of Lagos during investigations include: the cargo agent, Alalade Taiwo Azeez; the driver who conveyed the consignment to the cargo agent, Ndem Ogbonna Kelechi; a trader at ASPANDA market, Trade Fair Complex, Lagos who handed over the consignment to the driver for delivery to the cargo agent, Okeke Tochukwu Chimezie and an accomplice who supplied the cartons of Origin bitters used in concealing the cocaine, Igwilo Chidi Henry. The efforts eventually paid off, leading to the unmasking of Nwabueze hiding in his village Aziora, Ozubulu, Anambra state as the leader of the syndicate.
In Taraba, NDLEA operatives acting on credible intelligence on Saturday 4th July arrested a suspect, Daniel Harrison Ugwuoke, 30, with 43,980 capsules of Tramadol concealed inside two vehicle fuel tanks along Zaki-biam road Wukari Local Government Area of the state, while coming from Onitsha, Anambra state.

Two suspects: Boniface Agu, 65, and Monday Nwaeze, 50, were arrested in possession of 1.7 kilograms of methamphetamine by NDLEA officers on Thursday 2nd July during a raid operation at Gwantu, Gwantu LGA Kaduna state, while a 65-year-old suspect Francis Ifara Eja was nabbed with 231.7kg skunk at Ikwo, Ebonyi state on Saturday 4th July. Similarly, a 75-year-old grandpa Alhaji Babani was arrested in possession of 15kg skunk at Kurgwi, Qua’anpan LGA, Plateau state on Friday 3rd July.
In Gombe, NDLEA operatives acting on credible intelligence on Wednesday 1st July arrested the duo of Dahiru Mohammed, 65, and Isiya Lawan, 36, at Kuri village, Yamaltu- Deba LGA, where they were found with 587 blocks of cannabis sativa, weighing 556 kilograms.

With the same level of dedication, Commands and formations of the Agency across the country continued their War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) sensitization activities in schools, worship centres, work places and communities among others in the past week. These include: WADA enlightenment lecture to students and staff of Girls Secondary School, Abagana, Anambra; Government Technical College, Obe, Enugu; Adeola Odutola College, Ijebu Ode, Ogun state; and FCE Staff Demonstration School, Kabuga, Kano state, among others.
While commending the officers and men of MMIA, Taraba, Kaduna, Ebonyi, Plateau, and Gombe Commands for the arrests and seizures, Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd) noted their drug supply reduction efforts balanced with WADA sensitization activities while he charged them and their compatriots across the country to continue to raise the operational bar.

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All is not well in the African Democratic Congress (ADC) as the Southern Political Progressives Amalgamation Forum has rejected former Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, as the running mate to the party’s presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, in the 2027 general elections.Politics

The Forum’s Convener, Anga Fidelis, and two others, in a statement yesterday, claimed that Amaechi would be defeated even in his hometown in Ikwerre Local Government Area of Rivers State.

Fidelis also argued that if Amaechi could not win his local government area in the last eight years, what were the chances that he would help Abubakar secure votes in the 17 states in the southern part of the country: the South-South (six states), South-West (six states) and South-East (five states).

He said: “With all due respect, maybe Atiku, even though he is a pan-Nigerian who has businesses, friends, associates and ties across the South-West, South-East and South-South parts of the country, may not be fully abreast with the political reality in the Niger Delta region where Amaechi is from.

“As at today, Amaechi is a political liability and it is a statement of fact that he can not win his Ward in Ikwerre Local Government Area of Rivers State. When you can’t deliver your Ward, how do you deliver your LGA and ultimately the State?” According to him, Amaechi was instrumental in the defeat of former President Goodluck Jonathan, a role he said the people of the Niger Delta had not forgotten.

“Amaechi’s sins to his people are legendary and only reinforces why he is a political liability, a conceived tool for failure and a political pariah in his region.

“He was instrumental to the defeat of Dr Goodluck Jonathan, the first President of the South South and Ijaw son because of his selfish ambition to become a Minister under the late President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration in 2015,” he said.

He submitted that a running mate should be someone who would complement the efforts of the candidate and not a liability who would be solely banking on the efforts of the candidate in his stronghold.

“The mission and vision still remain Tinubu must go. Atiku should be careful not to turn his likely victory to Tinubu’s advantage with such enforced error as making a political dead wood as Amaechi running mate, because that is tantamount to shooting himself in the feet.

“Yes, we agreed Amaechi has a rich political pedigree on paper. He should, as a two-term Governor, two-time Minister, two-term Speaker of the State House of Assembly and Speaker of all Speakers, be expected to, yet in reality they are all good on paper and remain so as paper tiger. “Since 2015, Amaechi has lost all his political leverage and all he now does is bark and rant on media adventures.

Already, we can only envisage the joy at the heart of Nyesom Wike, the FCT Minister, as he would be relishing another day at the polls to further chase the now chastised cat of Ubima into his shell,” he added.