Where Is The Ignorant Hausa Ambassador Who Said Only Southerners Are Criminals?

Narcotic agents at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Ikeja, Lagos on Wednesday arrested a crew member of Virgin Atlantic Airways, on flight number VS 652 with registration number G-VFIT flying to London.

The suspect, Muhammad Ibrahim Wudil, was nabbed with 1.743 kilogrammes of cocaine concealed in a black polythene bag inside a hand luggage hidden in the flight compartment. The suspect, who is single and 34 years old, hails from Wudil town in the Wudil Local Government Area of Kano State. He has been working with Virgin Atlantic for the past five years.

http://www.sunnewsonline.com/webpages/news/national/2007/aug/09/national-09-08-2007-001.html




The Cargo is Cocaine… Aboard Virgin Atlantic
By Chinedu Eze, 08.09.2007

His destination has suddenly changed. Initially, he was to travel to London as a member of the crew of a British airline. But now, Mohammed Ibrahim Wudil may end up in jail.
Wudil, a Nigerian member of Virgin Atlantic Airways crew, was yesterday caught with 1.743 kilogrammes of a substance suspected to be cocaine by officers of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Lagos.
He was to be part of flight number VS 652 and registration number G-VFIT on its way to London Heathrow. The flight was grounded by the NDLEA pending further investigation.
Ofoyeju Mitchell, the Public Affairs Officer of the agency, confirmed to reporters last night that the suspect was nabbed with the substance concealed in a black polythene bag inside a hand luggage hidden in the flight compartment.
When questioned by officers of the drug body, Ibrahim was said to have confessed to having collected the parcel from one Fowy for a fee of four thousand dollars (N508, 000).
He was also said to have confessed to the NDLEA that this was the third time he was trafficking in hard drugs.
He was given a picture frame containing drugs by TJ twice in January 2007 to deliver to a Nigerian based in London simply identified as Fowy, he allegedly confessed.
Ibrahim also narrated to the agency that he later had an accident and could not fly for four months. When he regained fitness and started working again, he met Fowy again in London who told him that the picture frames he brought in January actually contained drugs. He wanted them to discuss the “terms of the trade” because he wished to increase the quantity.
“It was then they agreed on the sum of four thousand dollars. However, our investigation revealed that this was actually the fifth time. Twice he took drugs ignorantly and twice he knowingly carried drugs before he was caught the third time,” NDLEA said.
The suspect who is single and 34 years, hails from Wudi town in Wudi Local Government Area of Kano State and he has been working with Virgin Atlantic for the past five years.
The management of Virgin Nigeria Airways confirmed the story. “Virgin Atlantic can confirm that the VS652 flight due to operate from Lagos to Heathrow is currently delayed in Lagos due to Nigerian authorities requesting that the aircraft remains at the airport whilst they conduct a customs investigation.
“The management said that the airline is cooperating fully with the authorities and would like to apologise to all passengers for any inconvenience this delay may cause them,” it said in a statement.
Commenting on the incident, the Director General/Secretary of NDLEA, Otunba Lanre Ipinmisho, said, “The trend is becoming disturbing; as a result the Agency is determined to reverse it. He promised that investigation will be meticulously carried out to crack down on the faceless actors behind the dastardly act”.
He said the aircraft had been impounded pending the outcome of investigation, adding that the agency was conscious of the quality service the airline is rendering and would not detain it longer than necessary. 
There has been increased spate of drug trafficking by airline crew of airlines operating from Nigeria.
A few weeks ago, a crew member of a Nigerian airline was also caught with 3.3 kilogrammes of cocaine on his way to London. A Nigerian home movie celebrity was also arrested and convicted last year.
Crew members usually pass through the “fast track” route at the departure section of the airport and are exempt from serious security screening.
In 1987, a pilot with the now defunct Nigerian Airways, Billy Eko, was caught with a large quantity of cocaine in the United States. He was charged to court and sentenced to ten years imprisonment.
http://www.thisdayonline.com/nview.php?id=85778