Posted by From SUBERU TOSIN FRANCIS, Ibadan on
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has nabbed nine suspected drug traffickers at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport (NAIA) Abuja, as they attempted to smuggle narcotic substances weighing 12.75 kilogrammes in their stomach to various destination in Europe.
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has nabbed nine suspected drug traffickers at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport (NAIA) Abuja, as they attempted to smuggle narcotic substances weighing 12.75 kilogrammes in their stomach to various destination in Europe.
The nine suspects were all male. Eight were arrested in September while one was nabbed on October 4, 2008. The estimated street value of the seized drugs in Nigeria is about N51 million.
According to press state ment from the commission, the names of the suspects are Emeka Ezennaya, Aliozor Jude Chinedu, Okechi Jude Eze, Anamodo John Paul and Chidike Deacon Okechukwu. Others are Kingsley Ifeanyi, Onyemechi Ohakwe, Uche Teddy Egwuogu, and Ezenwankwo Albart. They are between the age bracket of 21 and 44 years.
Preliminary investigation conducted by the agency revealed that five of the suspects were living in Europe doing unskilled jobs. It was also discovered that three of the suspects ingested the drugs in Lagos and flew to Abuja to connect KLM flight to their destinations.
Speaking on the drug control capacity of the anti-drug agency, the NDLEA Airport Commander, Alhaji Hamza Umar, warned drug traffickers not to go close to any of the four international airports with drugs otherwise they would end up shamefully like their cohorts who are now gnashing their teeth in detention.
Umar said: 'From January to date, 87 suspected drug traffickers have been arrested at the Abuja airport. Out of this number, 44 have been successfully convicted by the law courts while 43 cases are at various levels of trial.'
He stressed that the addition of the United States donated body scanners to existing x-ray machines has made the airports invincible to drug traffickers, adding 'all the airports in the country today are fully equipped such that any drug suspect passing through them should prepare his or her mind for arrest and prosecution.'
Emeka Ezennaya, 42, was arrested on his way to Spain on September 1, 2008 at about 7.30 pm local time. He ingested 100 pieces of substances that tested positive for cocaine weighing 1.5 kilogrammes and was to be paid 4,000 Euros.
Emeka works in Malaga, Spain in construction sites. The reasons he gave for trafficking drugs were that heart problem, illness of his father and his wife's pregnancy. Emeka hails from Idemili Local Government Area of Anambra State.
Okechi Eze Jude, 36, was nabbed on the September 6, 2008 while he was about travelling to Poland . He swallowed 64 wraps of substances that tested positive for cocaine weighing 1.1 kilogrammes and was to be paid 4,000 Euros. The suspect who is married to a Pole said that he had a problem with his spinal cord when he was involved in a vehicle accident and confessed to having swallowed the drugs in Lagos and taken a flight to Abuja . He is from Oyi Local Government Area of Anambra State.
The youngest suspect among the nine Anomodo John Paul, 21, was caught on his way to Spain on September 8, 2008 with 93 wraps of substances that tested positive for cocaine weighing 1.5 kilogrammes. He also does construction work in Alcante , Spain He is married with 2 children and said family problem made him to deal in drugs. He is from Awka in Anambra State.