The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency has apprehended a 50-year-old widow and fashion designer, Mrs. Ifeoma Henrietta Ezewuike, for allegedly attempting to traffic 1.3 kilograms of cocaine while disguising as a pregnant woman.
Ezewuike, who owns Golden Star Creation, a fashion outfit in the Okota area of Lagos, was arrested on Friday, August 22, at a bus terminal in Jibowu, Yaba, while trying to transport the illicit substance to customers in Abuja.
In a statement on Sunday, NDLEA’s Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, confirmed the arrest, adding that a follow-up search at the suspect’s residence on Ago Palace Way led to the discovery of 200 grams of a cutting agent used in processing cocaine.
“Operatives intercepted Mrs. Ezewuike at Jibowu terminal, where she attempted to conceal 1.3kg of cocaine under the guise of a fake pregnancy. She later admitted in her statement that she took over the trade from her late husband, despite running a fashion business for over 20 years,” Babafemi explained.
He added that the agency remains committed to exposing traffickers regardless of the methods used to evade detection.
In related operations, NDLEA operatives in Lagos intercepted 90 parcels of Loud, a strong strain of cannabis weighing 48.6kg, concealed in three cartons of imported kitchen sinks from the United States.
“On Tuesday, 19th August, our officers at a courier company in Lagos discovered the illicit shipment cleverly hidden inside cartons of kitchen sinks. This underscores the desperate measures drug cartels adopt in their smuggling attempts,” Babafemi noted.
The statement also detailed operations in Adamawa, Kano, Abuja, and other states. In Adamawa, operatives raided the home of a notorious dealer, Idris Garba, who escaped, while his associate, 55-year-old Boniface Nnaji, was arrested with over 354,000 pills of tramadol. In Kano, several suspects were apprehended with large quantities of opioids, codeine syrup, and tramadol capsules.
Babafemi said the nationwide crackdown extended to Taraba, Edo, Delta, Ondo, and Ekiti States, where cannabis farms and warehouses were destroyed.
“The NDLEA will continue to pursue traffickers across the country. No disguise, no concealment method, and no location will shield them from justice,” Babafemi affirmed.