NDLEA nabs 23-year-old school leaver, others for drug trafficking

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency has foiled attempts by a 23-year-old secondary school leaver, Iwuyi Chukwuka, and Europe-based Nigerian, Peter Mkwo, to export 9kilogrammes of skunk and methamphetamine through Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja to Turkey and Belgium respectively.

The Director, Media and Advocacy of NDLEA, Femi Babafemi, in a statement on Tuesday in Abuja, said Peter Mkwo, 37, was arrested on Friday, May 28, while trying to board an Ethiopian Airline 910 enroute Abuja-Addis Ababa- Brussels, Belgium.

According to the statement, “When searched, 3kg of methamphetamine was discovered stuffed in the lining of a false bottom of his luggage.

“Under interrogation, Peter claimed he has lived in Belgium for 15 years and worked as a forklift driver in an automobile company, where he earned €1,700 monthly.”

He said he arrived Nigeria on April 26 for the burial of his father who died in August 2019, but was buried on April 30 in Awka, Anambra State.

”I lodged in a hotel at Amuwo Odofin in Lagos where I met two men, while hanging out at the bar by the hotel’s swimming pool. They proposed that I carry the drug for onward delivery to Belgium.

“The bag containing the drug was brought to me in the hotel by the two men on Friday, May 28, before I took off to Abuja, where I was to fly to Brussels. I was promised €3,000 on successful delivery to one Ishmael, in Belgium,” Mkwo was quoted as saying.

He claimed to have accepted the offer to deliver the drug to raise fund to repay money he borrowed from friends for the burial of his father.

According to the statement, in the same vein, the 23-year-old Chukwuka, was arrested with 6.3kg skunk concealed in crayfish and stuffed inside Golden Morn packs during an outward clearance of Turkish Airline flight at the departure hall of the Abuja airport.

During interrogation, he claimed he was travelling for a diploma study in Tourism and Hotel Management at University of Mediterranean, Karpasia, North Cyprus. 

In a related development, a 27-year-old graduate of Accountancy, Bayero University, Kano, Zakaru Baba, has been arrested at the local wing of the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport, Kano with 6kg of cannabis sativa.

The consignment was flown from Lagos to Kano on Saturday, May 29, via Max Air.

The suspect, who turned up to claim the packaged drug, was arrested and has since confessed ownership of the exhibit. This is the first time the Command has apprehended a suspect via the domestic wing of the airport, as most arrests and seizures are usually made at the international wing.

In his reaction, the Chairman/Chief Executive of NDLEA, Brig.-Gen. Buba Marwa (rtd), commended the NAIA Commander, Kabir Tsakuwa, and his MAKIA counterpart, Mohammed Ajiya, as well as the officers and men of the two Commands for their vigilance and commitment to the task of ridding the country of illicit substances.

He charged them not to rest on their oars as the agency intensifies the war against drug abuse and trafficking in Nigeria.

Anozie Egole
Anozie Egole
Anozie Egole is a Transport correspondent. He reports Maritime, Aviation and Rail/Road Transport for Financial Street.

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