Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA)
arrested a student and four other suspected drug traffickers with 10.255
kilogrammes of narcotics at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport,
(MMIA), Lagos today.
Speaking on the arrest, NDLEA Airport Commander,
Mr. Ahmadu Garba said that the suspects were apprehended for their
involvement in smuggling drug hidden in garri adding that two of the
drug suspects were coming from Brazil with cocaine while three others
were going to South Africa, Dubai and Pakistan when they were arrested.
Mr.
Garba further gave the names of those apprehended as “26 year old
student Okonkwo Daniel Anagor, was caught with 2.810kgs of Tramadol on
his way to Dubai, Lawal Monsuru Ademola, 33 year old trader was arrested
with 3.310kgs of methamphetamine on his way to South Africa while
Ogbonna Donatus Chigozie was caught attempting to smuggle 610 grammes of
cocaine to Pakistan. Two other suspects, Okoro Chibueze Augustine and
Okpue Ernest Ifeanyi were caught with 2.575kgs and 950 grammes of
cocaine from Brazil”.
Narrating his ordeal, one of the
suspects, Mr. Okonkwo David Anagor who was to board Rwand Air flight to
Dubai told anti-graft investigators that he wanted to spend some time
after his secondary school and further his education in Dubai.
According
to him, “I was travelling to Dubai to spend holiday and further my
studies but they called me from Dubai that somebody will give me garri
in Lagos.
When I got to Lagos, the person called me and gave me
the bag of garri. This is my first time of travelling outside the
country. At the airport, the garri was searched and 445 sachets of
Tramadol were found inside the bag. That was how I was arrested”.
Also,
Mr. Lawal Monsuru Ademola, a trader selling clothes at Marina Lagos who
holds a Diploma in Computer Installations and Repairs at the Lagos
State Polytechnic was caught on his way to South Africa with 3.310kgs of
crystalline substance which tested positive for methamphetamine that
was neatly packed in 26 parcels in a false bottom of his luggage.
Similarly,
Ogbonna Donatus Chigozie was nabbed with 610 grammes of cocaine while
attempting to board an Emirate flight to Pakistan.
Okoro Chibueze Augustine who was expecting N2.5 million described his arrest as a bad luck.
In
his words, “I have lived in Brazil for a year and six months. I have
suffered trying to make ends meet in Brazil. I got involved in drug
trafficking so as to start a legitimate business. I expected to have
made N2.5 million from the deal.
Unfortunately, my partner who
would have collected the drug in Dubai failed to show up so I had to
come to Nigeria with the drug. That was not the original plan. This is a
bad luck and I feel so sad”. He is single and hails from Imo State.
Okpue
Ernest Ifeanyi who had lived in Brazil for a year said that he came to
Nigeria for his traditional marriage ceremony. “I work in a restaurant
in Brazil. I am 39 years old and I sincerely want to get married and
have a family. In the process of trying to make more money, I was given
59 wraps of cocaine to take to Nigeria for N400,000 naira. Now I
realized I have made a big mistake. I pray my woman will find a place in
her heart to forgive me. I feel I am under a spell” he stated.