LAGOS: National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) at the international wing of the Muritala Muhammed Airport (MMA), Lagos has arrested four suspected drug traffickers for allegedly smuggling cocaine.
According to NDLEA Commander at the Lagos Airport, Hamza Umar, who made this known yesterday, explained that surveillance by anti-drug agency led to their arrest.
He further explained that the arrests were recorded on Brazil-Nigeria route, which according to him has become notorious for cocaine smuggling.
The suspect, Hamza said tested positive for cocaine ingestion and that they were placed under observation until the drugs were expelled.
Hamza said that the suspects ingested 171 wraps of cocaine weighing 4.19kg. According to him, “the NDLEA has apprehended four suspected drug traffickers for ingesting 171 wraps of cocaine.
One Ejiofor Eliezer, 46 years old ingested 100 wraps of cocaine weighing 2.155kg. This is the highest single ingestion since January2015.
Obah Ifeanyi Francis, 30 years old ingested 40 wraps weighing 740 grammes
while Akpa Cornelus Sobuzochukwu, 27 years old ingested 26 wraps weighing 445 grammes. Another suspect, Ike Vincent Okechukwu, 36 years old swallowed 5 wraps weighing 85 grammes”.
He stated that Ejiofor Eliezer and Obah Ifeanyi were caught during screening of passengers on an Emirates flight while Akpa Corlenus Sobuzochukwu and IkeVincent Okechukwu were nabbed during screening of passengers on Qatar airline flight.
The suspects, Hamza said will soon be charged to court. According to NDLEA Ejiofor Eliezer, who hails from Nnewi, Anambra state, had lived in Brazil for two years attributed his involvement in drug trafficking to poverty.
According to Ejiofor, “I live in Brazil where I work in a supermarket and I am married with four children.
Primary education, I could not study further, due to lack of money. Life in Brazil is tough because I live from hand to mouth.
I have no savings, in fact it was poverty that made me to smuggle drugs. I took risk by swallowing 100 wraps of cocaine for 200,000 naira because of poverty”.
NDLEA said that Obah Ifeanyi Francis, who also hails from Anambra state, confessed that he
wanted to make quick money from cocaine trafficking but his friend disappointed him. “I am single and had been working in Brazil for two years.
This was how I had to come to Nigeria with the drug. I blame my friend for my arrest because I would have made 15,000 dollars from the deal” Obah saidAkpa
Cornelus Sobuzochukwu who holds a diploma in accounting confessed that he was frustrated working as a cleaner with poor salary.
“I hold a diploma in Accounting from Institute of Management Technology Enugu. I travelled to Brazil in search of better job but I ended up as a cleaner in a train station.
