ABUJA, Nigeria – The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) apprehended 67-year-old Clement Chukwuemeka at Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport on Tuesday, October 3, 2023, after he ingested 100 wraps of cocaine.
In a surprising confession, Chukwuemeka claimed his criminal act was a desperate bid to start life anew and marry again.
“I wanted to raise enough money to find a new wife after spending 30 years abroad in places like Brazil, Ethiopia, and Thailand,” Chukwuemeka disclosed to NDLEA agents. He lamented his years overseas, sharing that he lost his wife during that time and never had children.
The arrest transpired during a routine check of passengers arriving from Addis Ababa on Ethiopian Airlines, Femi Babafemi, the NDLEA’s Director of Media and Advocacy, confirmed. “A body scan showcased numerous pellets in Mr. Chukwuemeka’s stomach. He later excreted 100 wraps of cocaine, totaling 2.195kg, across four instances,” Babafemi detailed.
But Chukwuemeka wasn’t the only trafficker nabbed that day. Bilkisu Bello, 45, was intercepted at Malam Aminu Kano International Airport. Before boarding her flight to Saudi Arabia, Bello revealed the location of the cocaine pellets she was supposed to swallow.
This information led agents to a Farawa residence in Kano, where they confiscated 52 wraps of the narcotic weighing 767 grams.
In a significant operation, NDLEA, in collaboration with the Nigerian Army, Civil Defence Corps, and Amotekun personnel, raided James Town, Ogunmakin in Obafemi Owode local government area.
The joint force destroyed an astonishing 10.38 tonnes of Indian hemp, which spanned more than 4.152 hectares. Their mission was further justified when, on their return, a truck carrying a 40ft container filled with logs was intercepted, revealing two bags of Indian hemp weighing 20kg.
Six individuals, including Ahmed Yusuf, Olaniyi Babatunde, and Richard John, were arrested.
Meanwhile, in other NDLEA operations, 300kgs of skunk concealed in charcoal were found in Owan West Local Government Area’s Obi Camp, while two hemp farms were eradicated in Orhiomwon Local Government Area’s Igbanke Forest.
Four suspects were apprehended in connection to these illegal farms.
Lastly, Bauchi-Gombe Road witnessed the arrest of Auwal Bindow with 50,000 tramadol capsules. Not to be left out, Lagos-Ibadan Expressway saw the detention of Anuoluwapo Iyanu, 32, found in possession of 52 blocks of compressed Indian hemp resembling pawpaw, totaling 30kg.
The NDLEA’s dedication to curbing drug trafficking in Nigeria remains undeterred, as these operations demonstrate.
