Breaking News: NDLEA Arrests Businessman for Cocaine Trafficking at Kano Airport
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has apprehended a businessman, Olisaka Chibuzo Calistus, at the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport (MAKIA) in Kano State for attempting to smuggle 256 wraps of cocaine, totaling six kilograms, into Nigeria.
The arrest occurred on December 15, 2024, during the inward clearance of passengers on Ethiopian Airlines flight ET 941 from Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, via Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
This seizure represents the largest interception of cocaine at the Kano airport since the establishment of the NDLEA’s MAKIA Command in 2006.
Calistus, who claims to be involved in import and export business, was subjected to a body screening that revealed he had concealed the cocaine pellets on his person.
In a related development, NDLEA operatives at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) in Lagos arrested an ex-convict, Olanrewaju Bada Akorede, attempting to export a consignment of Rohypnol to South Africa.
The drugs were hidden in cargo items, including gari, shoes, and men’s clothing. Akorede had previously been convicted for a similar offense in December 2023 and was sentenced to two years imprisonment, with an option to pay a fine of ₦900,000, which he paid before resuming illicit activities.