NDLEA arrests man for ingesting cocaine to fund marriage

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested a 67-year-old suspected drug trafficker, Clement Chukwuemeka at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, for ingesting 100 wraps of cocaine.

The NDLEA Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, who confirmed the development in a statement on Sunday in Abuja, said Chukwuemeka was arrested during an inward clearance of passengers on Ethiopian Airlines from Addis Ababa.

According to him, the suspect was arrested after a body scan revealed multiple pellets in his stomach.

Babafemi said: “While under observation, he excreted 100 wraps of cocaine weighing 2.195kg in four excretions.

“In his statement, the suspect claimed to have spent 30 years in Brazil, Ethiopia, and Thailand, while he was married, but lost his wife and had no child.

“He added that that was why he decided to go into drug trafficking to raise enough money to marry a new wife and start life afresh.

“On the same October 3, NDLEA operatives intercepted a 45-year-old woman, Bilkisu Bello, at the Malam Aminu Kano International Airport, Kano, while preparing to board a flight to Saudi Arabia.

READ ALSO: NDLEA arrests wanted kingpin, others over 4 tons of drugs

“Bilikisu told the operatives that pellets of cocaine given to her to swallow before her flight were kept in a house in the Farawa area of Kano.

“When she led NDLEA officers to the house, 52 wraps of the illicit substance with a total weight of 767 grams were recovered.

“NDLEA operatives, supported by troops of the Nigerian Army, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), and Amotekun personnel stormed James Town, Ogunmakin in Obafemi Owode local government area of Ogun, also on October 3, located and destroyed 10.38 tonnes of Indian hemp covering more than 4.152 hectares in the town.

“On their return trip from the operation, the team intercepted a truck carrying a 40ft container loaded with logs of wood. A search of the container led to the recovery of two bags of Indian hemp weighing 20kg.

“Six suspects in the truck – Ahmed Yusuf, Olaniyi Babatunde, Adedeji Babatunde, Richard John, Osolale Olamilekan, and Abdulazeez Saidi were arrested.”

Join the conversation

Opinions

Support Ripples Nigeria, hold up solutions journalism

Balanced, fearless journalism driven by data comes at huge financial costs.

As a media platform, we hold leadership accountable and will not trade the right to press freedom and free speech for a piece of cake.

If you like what we do, and are ready to uphold solutions journalism, kindly donate to the Ripples Nigeria cause.

Your support would help to ensure that citizens and institutions continue to have free access to credible and reliable information for societal development.

Donate Now