NDLEA arrests drug baron with cocaine worth N8bn, seizes $4,000 as part payment offered as bribe to compromise the investigation

Story from Kenneth AFOR, Lagos

A Nigerian drug baron based in Brazil, Ejiofor Felix Enwereaku, has been arrested by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, MMIA, Ikeja, Lagos with cocaine worth N8 billion in street value.

Also, he was seized of the sum of $4,000 as part payment which he offered as a bribe to compromise the investigation.

In a statement issued on Sunday by Mr Femi Babafemi, Director, Media and Advocacy NDLEA, Abuja, Enwereaku was arrested on Friday, May 14, 2021, for importing 27.95 kilogrammes of the substance.

According to Babafemi, the suspect, head an organised criminal gang member imports cocaine by tagging/ planting drugs in innocent travellers’ luggage.

“Based on intelligence, narcotic agents at the MMIA had on Saturday 8th May 2021 intercepted a bag that arrived at the Lagos airport from GRU, Brazil via Addis Ababa, Ethiopia on the Ethiopian airline with baggage tag No- ET331 199 but was disclaimed by an arriving passenger on the flight. The disclaimed bag was promptly secured by NDLEA operatives for investigation,” he stated.

“On Sunday, 9th May 2021, a man came to the airport to make an inquiry on how to get the disclaimed bag released. He was promptly arrested for investigation.

“The disclaimed bag was opened in the presence of the arriving passenger and the man who came to negotiate the release of the disputed bag. When it was opened, it was found that the bag contained 36 blocks of cocaine, weighing 27.95kg. A follow-up sting operation was carried out, which led to the arrest of Ejiofor Felix Enwereaku, the prime suspect, on Friday 14th May upon his arrival from Addis Ababa onboard Ethiopian airline.”

According to Babafemi, the suspect following his arrest and preliminary interrogation confessed to having been contracted by his Ethiopian associate, a notorious drug baron, to claim and push out the consignment in Lagos, Nigeria.

“He admitted to having paid the $24,500 bribe in three tranches to compromise NDLEA officers. The first was $10,000 delivered through his representative in Lagos and another $10, 000 via his First Bank account while the third tranche of $4,500 was paid at the point of his arrest.

“His group is suspected to be responsible for recruiting traffickers to move illicit drugs to various destinations using Nigeria as their transit location and also planting drugs in the luggage of innocent travellers,” he added.

The Chairman and Chief Executive of NDLEA, Brigadier General Mohamed Buba Marwa (Retd), who commended the effort of the Commander, MMIA Command of the agency, Ahmadu Garba, said the agency will as well go after the cartels and kingpins who operate within the country and bring them to book.

Commenting on the outcome of the intelligence-led operational strategies that took the operatives weeks of painstaking efforts and closely monitored by him, commended, his officers and men for their diligence and resilience in following up every lead in the case until the kingpin was successfully entrapped and arrested.

“I have warned that we will henceforth not only go after the traffickers but with the same vigour target the cartels and the kingpins that operate them; the latest arrest is a clear confirmation that we will match our words with action and that we will come for those who will not back out of the criminal trade, wherever they are hiding pushing instruments of death through our borders to destroy the lives of our youths,” Babafemi quoting Buba Marwa.