Four suspects have been arrested by officials of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) for the unlawful importation of more than 2.375 kilogramme of cocaine.
A total of 144 wraps of cocaine were found concealed inside the underwear of two of men, identified by NDLEA officials as Ogechukwu Emeanu, 35, Vitalis Madubia, 35, Uchenna Nnoli, 39 and Chinonso Ekwe, 34. The suspects were arrested on the same day the Murtala Muhammed International Airport Lagos during routine screening.
NDLEA Lagos Airport Commander, Mr. Hamza Umar, confirmed the arrest. He said, “Emeanu was first arrested with 70 wraps of cocaine weighing 1.120kg in his inner wear. He said the drugs were given to him by Madubia. Shortly after, Nnoli was caught with 74 wraps of cocaine weighing 1.255kg. Nnoli said the drugs were given to him by Ekwe.”
Details provided by The Punch are:
An apprentice at Idumota market, Emeanu said that he was offered N200,000 to smuggle the drugs from Abu Dhabi by Madubia. He lamented, “I am looking for money to get married and settle down. If I had known that it would end this way, I would have rejected the offer. I am still serving my master at Idumota.”
Nnoli, an electrical parts trader, was also caught with 74 wraps of cocaine weighing 1.255kg. He said that Ekwe had given him the drugs at Abu Dhabi and had promised to pay him N200,000.
Ekwe confessed to recruiting Nnoli in Abu Dhabi to smuggle drugs. He said, “I was paid $4,000 to take the drug from Brazil to Abu Dhabi. It was in Abu Dhabi that I gave it to Nnoli to bring it into Nigeria.”
Madubia who works in a restaurant in Brazil, said he was paid $3,000 to smuggle the drugs from Brazil to Abu Dhabi and had also recruited Emeanu to bring the drugs into Nigeria.
NDLEA Chairman, Mr. Ahmadu Giade, urged members of the public with useful information on illegal drug activities to contact the agency. He added that the suspects would be charged to court at the conclusion of the investigation.
