Emeka Ibemere
If the way one dresses is the
way she is addressed, then she could have walked away with her luggage stuffed
with illicit drugs. How?
Her appearance cut a picture of
an innocent angel on arrival from a religious obligation while her accent was
so melodious, that you could mistake her for one of the Michael Jackson’s
female singers.
Even, her explanation to what
led her act the way she acted could make a judge sent her free from her crimes.
But those who are expert in crime bursting knew that the hood doesn’t make the
mock and all that glitters is not gold.
So, when Burundian woman wrapped
herself in a religious garb to enter Nigeria, a country holding an all time
record, as the most religious country in the world, she did it to play on the
religious sentiments of those at the Airport.
That was how Uwimana Aisha, 38
years old Burundian woman cart-walked into the waiting arm of the operatives of
the NDLEA while trying to escape from arrest immediately she arrived Nigeria
with 2.390kg of heroin in her possession.
While in Tanzania, she was of
the thought that with Hamza Umar, the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency,
Airport Commander of the NDLEA, sharing the same religious name with her, that
the road to ferry her illicit wares would have been easy to pass through. But
she was mistaken not to have known that in security duties there are no
religious sisterhood. Her arrival coincided with the arrival of two detectives
from Switzerland Federal Department of Justice and Police (FDJP), on a drug
control cooperation mission in Nigeria.
The suspect who boarded
Air-Rewane from Tanzania was apprehended by officials of the National Drug Law
Enforcement Agency at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport (MMIA), Ikeja,
and Lagos State.
Her arrest followed the
detection of 2.390kg of heroin in her possession. A competent source said the
suspect on immediately landing at the MMIA, used her Hijab and covered the face
so as to look innocent from being searched at the airport.
The male operatives was said to
have cornered her to a corner and handed her over to a female operatives who
took her to a private chamber meant for the screening of female suspects at the
arrival hall for screening.
After frisking of her hand
luggage which she reluctantly allowed for screening, a substance suspected to
be heroin was discovered from her.
The substances were buried
inside her luggage to evade detection and her mode of dressing was meant to
evade suspicion of the preying eyes of the security men at the airport. NDLEA
Airport Commander, Mr. Hamza Umar stated that the suspect concealed the drug in
her hand luggage.
He said. “A Burundian by name,
Uwimana Aisha had in her hand luggage two parcels of powdery substance that
tested positive for heroin weighing 2.390kg. The case is under investigation,”
Hamza stated.
It was gathered that she was shocked when the
items were being brought out of her luggage. Aisha was not forthcoming with the
owner of the luggage and bluntly refused to give out the name of the man she
said was her boy friend that gave her the drugs.
But in her statement before her
captors, the suspect claimed the bag was given to her by her boyfriend.
“My Nigerian boyfriend gave me
the bag in Tanzania. He promised to marry me and take care of my only
daughter”, she state. “We were to come to Nigeria together but he later said
that he will join me the following day. I trusted him because he was nice to
me,”
Aisha’s trust to her boyfriend
has kept her in a condition of agonizing struggle or trouble for freedom she
loves enjoying.
Now, the so-called boy friend
has switched off his phones and is out of reach. While at the National Aviation
Handling Company (NAHCO), shed where Aisha was first detained, the suspect is
regretting her involvement in the drug peddling deal in Nigeria. Aisha is
expected to be arraigned next week in court after the conclusion of the
investigations on her.
NDLEA Chairman/Chief Executive,
Ahmadu Giade reaffirmed the Agency’s resolve in counter-narcotic operations
through effective collaboration. Giade who spoke while receiving two Swiss
investigators, Carlo Crespi and Daniel Mona said that the global
counter-narcotics campaign demands both local and international partnership.
“Nigeria’s drug control
scorecard today is enviable on account of our determination to partner with
other stakeholders. The sophistication of drug trafficking cartels demands that
nations should join forces against transnational crimes like drug trafficking,
money laundering and human trafficking”, Giade stated.
“It enhances exchange of
intelligence, capacity building and use of improved technology in crime
control”.
The NDLEA boss added that about
20 NDLEA officers have been trained in Switzerland under the project.
According to him, “No fewer than
20 NDLEA officers have gone to Switzerland under this cooperation. We hope to
partner with other countries and further enlarge our drug control capacity”.
He added. “We cannot sit and
fold our hands while criminals are devising ways of trafficking narcotics
across the globe. This cooperation project will enhance exchange of
intelligence as well as capacity building. It will also promote the use of high
technology in counter-narcotics operations”.
Giade thanked the Switzerland Government
for donating forensic protective kits to the Agency and expressed optimism that
similar cooperation will be extended to other countries.
“We are thankful to the
Switzerland Government for the training and logistic support to the Agency. We
hope to partner with other countries because of the numerous benefits of this
Nigeria-Switzerland project. The cooperation covers the entire gamut of drug
control” Giade stated
Speaking on the benefits of the
cooperation, Carlo Crespi stated that both countries would be better positioned
to confront drug trafficking cartels.
“This cooperation is mutually
beneficial to both countries. The government of Switzerland is pleased to
partner with Nigeria in drug control and more officers from Switzerland will
come to Nigeria by the first quarter of 2014” Carlo stated.
NDLEA officers who travelled to
Switzerland received training in forensic analysis and clandestine laboratory
operations. As part of the training, they were taken to Netherland where they
witnessed the decommissioning of a clandestine laboratory.
Just two weeks ago, a NDLEA
launched project called AIRCOP at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport
(MMIA) which has been linked with 10 International Airports around the globe
for real time exchange of intelligence. This followed the successful launch of
Airport Communication Project (AIRCOP) at the Lagos airport on Monday November
4, 2013.
The project is jointly supported
by the Nigerian Government, United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC),
Canadian Government, European Union, United States, INTERPOL and the World
Customs Organization (WCO).
Chairman/Chief Executive of the
NDLEA, Ahmadu Giade during the inauguration ceremony of the Joint Airport
Interdiction Task Force (JAITF) said the journey towards this laudable project
was born out of the desire to make the airport more impregnable to drug barons.
“The government of Nigeria in
search of how to make our airports more impregnable to drug barons had on 13th
October 2010 entered into an Agreement with the UNODC Regional Office for West
and Central Africa. The project provides secure and direct connections with
vetted units in Africa, Asia, the Caribbean, Europe and Latin America” the
Chairman stated.
The thirty-six member Joint Task
force (JAITF) headed by NDLEA Commander at the Lagos Airport, Mr Hamza Umar has
its membership drawn from NDLEA, Customs Service, Police, Immigration and
Department of State Security. They have also undergone a specialized training
in preparation for the onerous task ahead.
Giade who was represented by his
Special Assistant, Mr Suleiman Ningi said that the project will increase drug
interdiction capacity at the airport. In his words, “the connection of Lagos
Airport to International database and communication networks will facilitate
real time transmission and exchange of intelligence among members. This will
empower our country to intercept illicit shipment of drugs, materials as well
as curtail transnational crime”.
UNODC representative who is the
Project coordinator, Mr Marc Vanhulle said the project is targeted at covering
the entire trans-Atlantic route for trafficking drugs from Latin America to
Europe through Africa. “West Africa is recognized as a transit area for cocaine
trafficking between Latin America and Europe. More recently, the area has also
become a centre for methamphetamine production and has been increasing drug use
locally” Vanhulle stated.
According to Vanhulle, “an
integrated regional approach like project AIRCOP is critical in addressing the
borderless threats of drugs and crime. A regional response also helps to ensure
that as enforcement and criminal justice succeeds in one place, the problems
are not merely displaced from one place to another”.
The initial training was done by
experts from the Belgian Federal Police and the British Border Force. Already,
during a pilot test operation, 8 arrests in six cases involving heroin, cocaine
and methamphetamine were recorded.
Giade who described the result
as very encouraging assured Nigerians of improved drug control techniques. “The
Agency will continue to embrace innovative strategies and programmes targeted
at advancing our performance. AIRCOP is also a unifying force that promotes
inter-Agency collaboration because its membership is drawn from various
security Agencies”.
The NDLEA boss called on the Task Force
members to justify the confidence reposed in them. Some benefits of AIRCOP include information
sharing, coordination of counter-narcotic operations, full access to
international criminal databases, crime alerts as well as analytical tools
provided by INTERPOL.
However, one other drug
trafficker arrested has revealed that his life was in danger for excreting
drugs he ingested at the airport in Doha. The suspect who was arrested along other
three suspects was 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
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.
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