Officials of the National Drug Law
Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) said their
agents arrested three suspects who
attempted to courier cocaine through
the Murtala Muhammed International Airport
(MMIA), Lagos. According to the NDLEA, one of
the suspects had concealed cocaine inside the
sole of his shoes while the other two reportedly
tested positive for ingesting illicit drugs and
subsequently excreted narcotics.

NDLEA spokesman, Mitchell Ofoyeju, informed
reporters that the first suspect, Paul Ifechukwu
Mbatugosi, 32 years old, was caught with 1.95
kilograms of cocaine hidden inside shoe soles.
Mr. Ofoyeju disclosed that the consignment of
shoes where the cocaine was concealed most
likely originated from Sao Paulo, Brazil.

The NDLEA’s statement revealed that, before
venturing into drug smuggling, Mr. Mbatugosi
used to sell shoes in Enugu.
He added that another suspect, Ugochukwu
Godson Adugba, 34, ingested 1.50 kilograms of
cocaine on his way to Sydney, Australia. The
third, Friday Dominic Onuoha, 42, ingested 850
grams of cocaine from Brazil. The NDLEA
spokesman revealed that agents were still
investigating all the suspects prior to charging
them to court.

Speaking on the arrests, the NDLEA’s
commander at the Lagos Airport, Ahmadu
Garuba, confirmed that one of the suspects
concealed the drugs inside shoe soles while the
two ingested wraps of cocaine.

The NDLEA said Mr. Mbatugosi told
interrogators that a friend he met in Brazil had
introduced him to drug trafficking. According to
the agency, the suspect stated, “After my
graduation from Technical College in my home
town, Ihiala, Anambra State in 2002, I went to
Enugu where I was selling shoes. In 2015, I
travelled to Brazil in search of better
opportunities. However, while in Brazil, I worked
as a barber to earn a living. After a year and
three months in Brazil, I was disappointed
because I had no savings. So I decided that I
will get some money and be exporting shoes to
Nigeria. It was in the process of looking for
start-up capital that a friend introduced me into
drug trafficking. My friend bought the shoes and
prepared the drugs inside 13 pairs. This is my
first time and I was caught.”

The second suspect, Mr. Adugba, claimed that
he wanted to visit his wife in Sydney, Australia
when he was caught with the drug. He too
stated that a friend had introduced him to drug
trafficking, adding that he initially turned down
the proposal, but could not resist the offer of
$15,000. The suspect hails from Abia State.
The third suspect, Mr. Onuoha, equally blamed
his involvement on friends. The NDLEA said he
confessed to traveling to Brazil in search of job
opportunities, but meeting with frustration. “I
was not satisfied working as an event planner in
Brazil because the salary was just for
subsistence living. After paying my bills, there
was little or nothing left. That was how I was
introduced into drug trafficking. My friend said
that the only way to make quick money [was]
through drug trafficking. He promised to pay me
$15,000 and I agreed to swallow the drugs,”
stated Onuoha who is from Abia State.
The NDLEA’s chief executive, Colonel
Muhammad Mustapha Abdallah (ret.), said every
arrest and seizure of drugs represented a
victory over drug syndicates. He promised that
the anti-narcotics agency would continue to
sustain its vigilance at all entry and exit points.


“This will be complimented with public
awareness programs on illegal drug production,
trafficking and use aimed at reducing demand
for drugs,” Abdallah stated.


http://saharareporters.com/2016/08/12/nigerias-drug-law-enforcement-agency-arrests-three-suspected-cocaine-smugglers-lagos

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