DRUG BARONS AFTER ME- SUSPECT AS NDLEA ARRESTS THREE MEN AT LAGOS AIRPORT

Officials of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have arrested three men in connection with drug trafficking. The three suspects were apprehended at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport (MMIA) Lagos for ingesting 161 wraps of narcotics weighing 3.085kg. Two of the suspects were importing the drugs into the country while one was caught attempting to export the drugs to London. One of the suspects alleged that drug barons were after his life for excreting the drugs he ingested at the airport toilet in Doha.

NDLEA Airport commander, Mr Hamza Umar who confirmed the arrests gave the names of the suspects as Elioku Simeon Chibuzor, 28, Ogbu Obioma Leonard, 37 and Uzobude Vitus Uju, 43yrs.  According to Hamza, “Elioku ingested six wraps of cocaine from Brazil weighing 0.095kg, Ogbu ingested 1.175kg of heroin from Pakistan and Uzobude with dual citizenship of Nigeria and Germany ingested 100 wraps of cocaine weighing 1.815kg on his way to London”.

The 28 year old suspect, who is an auto parts dealer, Elioku Simon Chibuzor said that he ingested 80 wraps of drugs but he excreted the drug in Doha. He was arrested during the inward screening of passengers on Qatar airline flight. While on observation, Elioku excreted 6 wraps of powdery substances that tested positive for cocaine weighing 95 grammes.

“They promised to pay me 2,000 dollars to smuggle the drugs from Brazil to Doha. When I got to Doha, the person who ought to collect the drug from me failed to show up. It was for fear of being caught that made me to dispose the drugs at the airport toilet. I never knew that six wraps were left in my stomach. Now, I have been arrested and the owners of the drugs are after my life” Elioku lamented. He hails from Anambra State.

Ogbu Obiora Leonard who hails from Enugu State ingested 55 wraps of heroin in Pakistan weighing 1.175kg. According to Ogbu, “I went to Islamabad in March 2012 to work and earn a good living. Unfortunately, my situation became worse because I was jobless. It was so bad that I was looking for money to come back home. That was how I made up my mind to smuggle drugs. They promised to pay me six hundred thousand naira (N600,000)” Ogbu stated.

Uzobude Vitus who hails from Anambra State ingested 100 wraps weighing 1.815kg said that frustration and lack of money made him to smuggle drugs.  “I was promised 3,000 pounds to smuggle drugs to London. I lived in Germany for 15 years. I relocated to London four years ago but it was frustration that made me to traffic in drugs” Uzobude stated.

Speaking on the arrest, NDLEA Chairman, Ahmadu Giade said that no criminal will go unpunished. “We are prepared to stop drug traffickers. No criminal will go unpunished. Members of the public should please continue to provide information about drug traffickers to the Agency” Giade stated.