NDLEA arrests varsity graduates, others for drug trafficking
By Wole Shadare

A GRADUATE of philosophy, Olutope Vincent Odewale and four others are currently being interrogated by officials of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos, for drug trafficking.



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Other suspects include Andrew Chiaghana Kelvin Uzorofor, 26; Jerome Nwokedi, 35; Moses Ojo Olarewaju, 52; and Charles Amadi, 21.

They were all alleged to have tested positive for cocaine ingestion last week while on their various destinations to Europe.

Odewale was said to have been caught on April 22, 2008, at about 9.00 p.m. while attempting to board a British Airways flight to London with 1.200 kilogrammes of cocaine in his stomach.

The 1987 graduate of philosophy from the University of Ado-Ekiti also holds a Masters degree in Developmental Law and Social Justice from the Institute of Social Studies, The Hague, Netherlands.

"I was duped in 2005 and since then, I have lost everything. It was not deliberate, I can not imagine, I just feel it was designed but I know better now", were the words of Odewale who was obviously remorseful as he told his story.

Spokesman for the anti-narcotics agency, Ofoyeju Mitchel, disclosed that the suspect would have been paid £2,000 by his sponsors "if he had successfully smuggled the deadly consignment".

Also arrested on same flight was Uzorofor, 26, a 2006 graduate of Building Technology from Abia State University.

He was said to have ingested 66 wraps of cocaine weighing 1.123 kilogrammes.

Uzorofor works in a car wash to earn a living in London having discarded his degree certificate in building technology.

He said he was under pressure to pay his rent in London and so, he consented to smuggle drug for a fee of £3,000.

On April 23, 2008, Jerome Nwokedi was caught during the screening of passengers on Lufthansa flight.

He was on his way to Dublin to represent his company, names withheld in a court case, but decided to ingest drugs for a fee of £1,000.

He is a 2002 graduate of Estate Management from Enugu State University of Science and Technology.

Nwokedi, according to Mitchel, had so far discharged 66 wraps of the drug and he is still under observation.

According to the suspect: "I was bewitched into taking it because my travel expenses have been taken care of by my company, I had no reason to carry drugs. I don't even know how many wraps of the drugs I swallowed unlike my colleagues. This boy just held my hands and I followed him stupidly", he explained as he fought back tears.

Also, a 52-year-old car dealer, Olarewaju, ingested 85 wraps of substances that proved positive for cocaine, weighing 1.267 kilogrammes.

The father of five, who is currently in his second year at the Esa-Oke Polytechnic, Osun State, was nabbed on April 24, at about 10.00 p.m. on his way to London.

He said his sponsors offered to pay him £3,000.

"I know God is not on my side. My children will not be happy with me when they hear of my arrest", he lamented.

Also arrested same night was 21-year-old Amadi, who swallowed 80 wraps of cocaine weighing 1.267 kilogrammes on his way to Madrid.

"My people will be highly disappointed because I am their only hope", were the words of Amadi, who narrated how he travelled to Europe by road just to make ends meet.

According to Amadi, it took him a year and two months to get to Spain. Narrating how he suffered on his long journey through Niger Republic, Mali, Algeria and Morocco before entering Spain, he regretted trafficking in hard drugs for a fee of £3,500.

All the suspects have confessed to the crime but they all pleaded guilty, saying it was caused by poverty.

The NDLEA Commander at the airport, Mr. Victor Cole Shower, however, dismissed their plea, saying: "They have no justification trafficking in narcotics because it is unlawful. They are physically and academically qualified to work and earn a living legitimately".

http://odili.net/news/source/2008/may/2/16.html

Is Nigeria that bad? How can a 52 year old man do a thing like this?

OsunAmazon:

Is Nigeria that bad? How can a 52 year old man do a thing like this?

@poster
What has 52 year old man carrying drug GOT to do with Nigeria being Bad ?

@poster
What has 52 year old man carrying drug GOT to do with Nigeria being Bad ?

Is it not hardship that led him to do that at age 52? There is a high likelihood that he hasn't been a drug dealer. At 52? common man.

sad, it's time for the older ones start showing eample to the younger ones

sad, it's time for the older onesones start showing eample to the younger

In Nigeria? Older men should start by stopping their frequent trips to our various universities because they want to sleep with girls younger than their last born.

this is a pathetic story ,however poverty or not,shouldn't be an excuse to do drugs.the simple truth is that some of us are rather too impatient,we have lost value and everybody seems to have join the bandwagon of getrich quick mentality.

this is a pathetic story ,however poverty or not,shouldn't be an excuse to do drugs.the simple truth is that some of us are rather too impatient,we have lost value and everybody seems to have join the bandwagon of getrich quick mentality.

The sad truth.