A 36 year-old man, Nnaemeka Benjamin Anayo standing trial for cocaine
smuggling at the Lagos High Court, Ikoyi has been re-arrested with
1.820kg of heroin by officials of the National Drug Law Enforcement
Agency (NDLEA) at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport (MMIA)
Lagos. Nnaemeka who just completed the excretion of heroin he ingested
tested positive for narcotic ingestion during the inward screening of
passengers on an Etihad flight from Pakistan last weekend.
The accused was first arrested in August 2009 with 1.796kg of cocaine
on his way from Brazil. He was charged to court but later released on
bail. He was re-arrested for importing 1.820kg of heroin on his way from
Pakistan.
Preliminary investigation indicated that the suspect excreted some of
the drugs in the flight. In 2009, Nnaemeka was caught with Nigerian
international passport number A00052663 while in 2013 he was caught with
another Nigerian passport number A02349133. It was also gathered that
the suspect was recruited to smuggle the drug for a fee of four million
naira.
The suspect in his confessional statement said that he went back to
drug trafficking because of unemployment. “I am long overdue to be
married but I have no wife. I know that what I did is bad but it is due
to unemployment. I was first arrested in 2009 when I went to Brazil to
smuggle Cocaine. When I came out on bail, there was no job for me to do.
Although my case with the NDLEA is pending in court; I decided to try
again hoping that I might be lucky. This time around they promised to
pay me four N4
million naira. My intention was to settle down because I
want to be working rather than staying idle. I am still single at my
age. It is not that I do not want to be married but there is no money
and no job” Nnaemeka stated. He had his primary education at Igwebuike
Primary School Udi in Enugu State but could not further his studies due
to financial constraint.
NDLEA Airport Commander, Hamza Umar said that the suspect was
arrested after he tested positive to drug ingestion. “Nnaemeka Benjamin
Anayo tested positive for drug ingestion during the inward screening of
Etihad passengers. While searching his luggage, some wraps of drugs
which he excreted on the flight were found on him. He excreted a total
of 100 wraps weighing 1.820kg” Hamza stated.
Chairman/Chief Executive of the Agency, Ahmadu Giade in his reaction
called for stiffer penalties for drug offenders. In his words, “the
Agency will continue to press for stiffer penalties for drug
trafficking. In criminal justice, unless punishment is certain and
commensurate to the crime committed, offenders will always be attracted
by the financial incentives”. Giade also urged members of the public to
shun drug trafficking.
The suspect will be charged to court soon.
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