By: Bayero Ade
Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have arrested former convict Eniola Sodade for involvement in passport racketeering at Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Ikeja, Lagos.
According to NAN, NDLEA spokesperson, Femi Babafemi, revealed in a statement that Sodade, a 61-year-old, had been previously convicted in June 2024 by a Federal High Court in Lagos for drug trafficking. He was sentenced to four years in prison but was released after paying a fine of ₦750,000.
In December 2024, NDLEA operatives intercepted 52 passports from various countries concealed in shipments bound for destinations including Canada and Russia. The passports were hidden in shoe soles and food items. Further investigations led to the arrest of Sodade and three accomplices: Saheed Awwal, Salaudeen Afeez, and Adebayo Bamigbade. The suspects and the seized items were handed over to the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) for further investigation and prosecution on December 30, 2024.
Drug Seizures Across Rivers, Kano, and Kwara States
In an unrelated operation, NDLEA officers in Rivers State intercepted a shipment containing 316,800 bottles of codeine-based syrup at the Port Harcourt Ports Complex on December 31, 2024. This seizure was part of a joint examination with the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) and other security agencies.
In Kano, NDLEA operatives recovered 149,090 pills of tramadol and Exol-5 from a local dealer, 45-year-old Ismail Muhammad, during a raid on the Mafarki-Dan Dishe area of Dala Local Government on December 31.
Meanwhile, in Kwara State, two young individuals, 24-year-old Khadijat Abdulraheem and 20-year-old Ayomide Morakinyo, were arrested on December 29, 2024.
They were accused of producing and selling drug-laced cupcakes to students in the Tanke-University Road area of Ilorin. A search of their apartment led to the recovery of 42 drug-laced cupcakes.
The NDLEA has reiterated its commitment to tackling drug trafficking across the country, vowing to intensify efforts to dismantle criminal syndicates and ensure the safety of citizens.
Meanwhile, the Operatives of the agency arrested Lagos socialite Aishat Elediye and Nollywood filmmaker Eme Mbadiwe in connection with drug trafficking activities.
The arrests followed the interception of a truck carrying a large shipment of illegal drugs. Elediye, known in the drug world as “Iya Ruka” and as “Alhaja Elediye” in social circles, was apprehended on January 1 at her residence in Okota, Lagos.
According to NAN, at 61 years old, Elediye had long been on the NDLEA’s wanted list for heading a drug cartel operating in the Mushin area. Her cover was exposed when NDLEA operatives seized a truck containing 44 jumbo sacks, weighing 1,540 kilograms, of imported hemp. The vehicle, driven by her associate, Abideen Adio, 41, was intercepted by the agency.
After the interception, the NDLEA raided Elediye’s home at 33 Adebayo Oyewole Street in Okota, where she was arrested. While presenting herself as a businesswoman importing fabrics and shoes from China, it was revealed that she had been running a large-scale drug trade. Elediye is also recognized as the Iyalaje of the Blessing Sisters, an influential women’s club in Lagos.
In a separate operation on December 27, NDLEA operatives arrested filmmaker Eme Mbadiwe, known for his work in Hollywood and Nollywood. Mbadiwe was arrested at his Lekki hotel room after his associate, Uzoekwe Ugochukwu, was apprehended earlier in the day at a warehouse in Ajao Estate, Ikeja. Ugochukwu had been tasked by Mbadiwe to collect 33 parcels of “Loud,” a potent cannabis strain weighing 17.30 kilograms.
The drugs, which arrived at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) on December 24, were concealed in large wooden boxes.
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