I ingested 100 wraps of cocaine to raise money for marriage – 67-year-old trafficker
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has successfully apprehended a 67-year-old trafficker, Chukwuemeka Clement, at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja.
Chukwuemeka was discovered to have ingested 100 wraps of cocaine, weighing 2.195 kilograms, in an attempt to raise funds for a fresh start in life after spending three decades abroad.
Chukwuemeka’s arrest took place on Tuesday, October 3rd, during the inward clearance of passengers from Ethiopian Airlines flight 951. A body scan revealed the presence of multiple pellets in his stomach, and subsequent observation led to the excretion of the illicit substance.
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According to his statement, Chukwuemeka had spent 30 years in Brazil, Ethiopia, and Thailand. After losing his wife and remaining childless, he resorted to drug trafficking in hopes of accumulating enough money to marry again and begin anew.
Simultaneously, on the same day, NDLEA operatives at the Malam Aminu Kano International Airport intercepted a 45-year-old woman named Bilkisu Mohammed Bello. While preparing to board a Saudia Airlines flight to Saudi Arabia, Bilkisu confessed to swallowing cocaine pellets that were stored at a residence in the Farawa area of Kano. A subsequent search of the house led to the recovery of 52 wraps of the illicit substance, weighing a total of 767 grams.
Further achievements were made as the agency, backed by the Nigerian Army, Civil Defence Corps, and Amotekun personnel, raided James town in Ogunmakin, Obafemi Owode local government area of Ogun state. They successfully located and destroyed 10.38 tonnes of cannabis sativa, covering an area of over 4.152 hectares.
During their return from the operation, the team intercepted a truck carrying a 40ft container loaded with logs of wood. Upon inspecting the container, two bags of cannabis sativa weighing 20kgs were discovered, leading to the arrest of six suspects.
Additionally, a raid in Owan West LGA, Edo state, resulted in the evacuation of 30 sacks of skunk, weighing 300kgs and concealed within charcoal from an old dilapidated mud house. Furthermore, two cannabis farms measuring 1.179065 hectares located in Igbanke forest, Orhiowon local government area of the state were identified and destroyed. Four suspects were also apprehended during the operation.
In Gombe state, a suspect named Auwal Bindow was arrested along the Bauchi-Gombe road on Friday, October 6th, with 50,000 capsules of tramadol. Similarly, in Oyo state, NDLEA operatives conducting a patrol along the Lagos-Ibadan expressway apprehended Anuoluwapo Blessing Iyanu, 32, on Wednesday, October 4th, with 52 blocks of compressed pawpaw-shaped cannabis sativa, weighing 30kgs.
In addition to these commendable actions, various commands of the Agency across the country have continued their War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) advocacy campaign. These include sensitization lectures for students and teachers at Igbonnibi High School in Ila Orangun, Osun state, Royal Ambassador Secondary School in Makurdi, Benue state, Ilora Baptist Grammar School in Ilora, Oyo state, and Beth-Root Model Secondary School in Onitsha, Anambra state.
The Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Retd), praised the outstanding efforts of the NAIA, MAKIA, Ogun, Oyo, Edo, and Gombe Commands for their accomplishments in the past week. He also commended all the commands across the country for intensifying their WADA advocacy lectures, emphasizing the importance of striking a balance between drug supply reduction and drug demand reduction activities.
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