The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency has arrested a Lekki-based artiste manager, Oseni Babatunde aka Papalampa, and his Ikoyi businessman accomplice, Nnadi Ikenna, for selling illicit drugs to partygoers at night clubs in Lekki, Lagos State.
The NDLEA spokesperson, Femi Babafemi, disclosed this in a statement on the agency’s Facebook page on Sunday.
Their arrest followed an intelligence about a shipment of Colorado, a synthetic strong strain of cannabis coming for them from Los Angeles, United States.
The statement partly read, “Oseni Abdulraheem Ayodeji Babatunde (aka Papalampa) was the first to be arrested in his house at No. 3 Ope Daniel Taiwo Street, off Chisco Bus-Stop, Lekki area of Lagos when the consignment arrived on Sunday 23rd July.
“During a preliminary interview with the suspect, he confessed he started the illicit trade three years ago and has been selling to patrons of clubs and lounges in Lekki and Lagos Island, some of which he identified as Quilox, Silver Fox, DNA, and Hotbox,” Babafemi said.
“He also organises shows for artistes around Lagos and outside Nigeria. A total of 10 parcels of Colorado weighing 2.50kgs concealed inside large tins of coffee and duvets linked to Oseni were intercepted by NDLEA operatives at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport Ikeja.
“During a follow-up search of his residence, operatives recovered some quantities of the same substance, a digital weighing scale, and other paraphernalia.
“An Ikoyi-based businessman, Nnadi Kingsley Ikenna was linked to the shipment and was away in South Africa when the consignment arrived. While operatives maintained surveillance around his 18 Okotie Eboh Close, Ikoyi residence, they also set their dragnet for him at the airport where he was caught after he arrived in the waiting arms of NDLEA officers on Thursday 27th July from Kenya Airlines flight at the Lagos airport.”
Also, an attempt by another suspect, Igboma Ifeanyi to export quantities of Loud, a variant of Cannabis, Tramadol and Rohypnol all weighing 7.8kg concealed in 66 bottles of skin lightening lotion was thwarted by vigilant operatives who intercepted him while preparing to board an Ethiopian airline flight to Muscat, Oman at the Lagos airport.
Another suspect, Ekpenisi Wisdom Pious was equally arrested while trying to board an Ethiopian airline flight to Oman with 6.00kg skunk hidden in a bag of food stuff. A follow up operation led to the arrest of a staff of Toprano Hotel, Ikeja, Ibigbami Temitope Oluwatobi who was fingered in the drug trafficking scheme.
A consignment of 5.70kg codeine syrup going to the United Kingdom was on Thursday 27th July seized from a 51-year-old widow, Adewunmi Taiwo Atinuke by NDLEA operatives at the SAHCO export shed of the MMIA Ikeja.
“Equally, a consignment of 8.5kg skunk well concealed in a vehicle engine block going to Dubai, UAE was on Tuesday 18th July intercepted by NDLEA officers of the Directorate of Operations and General Investigation, DOGI, attached to courier companies in Lagos.”
