A Ghanaian and two Nigerians have been arrested for allegedly trafficking a total of 9.953 kilograms of Cocaine and Methamphetamine.
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency which disclosed this via a statement on Sunday said the suspects were apprehended at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja and Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu respectively.
NDLEA Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, said one of the suspects, Uzoh Ndubuisi Johnson was nabbed on December 8 during an inward screening of Ethiopian Airlines passengers at the Arrival Hall of the airport.
It was gathered that Uzoh who arrived from Brazil via Addis Ababa, Ethiopia was controlled and arrested with clothes impregnated with cocaine, which has a gross weight of 6.7 kilograms.
“While being interviewed by narcotic officers, Uzoh said he was given the consignment by his enabler based in Brazil for which he would be paid N3 million upon successful delivery to someone in Nigeria,” the NDLEA spokesman said.
Similarly, another trafficker, Udeh Charley was arrested at the Enugu airport for ingesting 72 wraps of Cocaine weighing 1.253 kilograms.
The 53-year-old suspect was nabbed on December 3 during outward screening of Ethiopian Airlines passengers going to Rome, Italy via Addis Ababa.
“In custody, he claimed he would have been paid 4000 Euros on the successful delivery of the drugs in Italy where he has been living for over 20 years. He attributed his decision to engage in the ignominious trade on the downward turn of his business as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“In a related development, another trafficker, 25-year-old John Kadja, whose father is from Kumasi, Ashanti region of Ghana and mother from Nsukka, Enugu State was arrested on Friday 3rd Dec with 2 kilograms of Methamphetamine during an outward clearance of Qatar Airways from Abuja to Doha at the departure screening area of Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja. A search of his bag showed that the drug was concealed in a false bottom of his checked-in luggage. He said he was travelling to Doha to work as a labourer,” the narcotics agency stated.
Similarly, NDLEA operatives arrested 43-year-old Onuoha Friday with one million capsules of Tramadol along the Lagos-Benin Expressway in Ondo State while two major arrests were made in Anambra state where a total of 238.973 kilograms of assorted illicit drugs were recovered.
On his part, NDLEA Chairman/Chief Executive, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (rtd) commended the officers and men of Enugu, Abuja airports commands and their counterparts for the arrests and seizures in the past week.
Marwa equally charged them and their compatriots across the country to remain vigilant and resolute in the collective mission to rid every part of Nigeria of illicit drugs.
