The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested two businessmen at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport (NAIA), Abuja, with consignments of cocaine and heroin going to Hong Kong and France concealed in their bellies.
NDLEA spokesperson Femi Babafemi said in a statement that while 38-year-old ThankGod Chimamkpa Emenike was arrested at the boarding gate of the Abuja airport on Friday, October 20th, during the outward clearance of passengers on Air France flight 818 to Paris, another passenger, 41-year-old Agbo Chidike Prince, was taken into NDLEA custody on Saturday, October 21st, while attempting to board an Ethiopian Airlines flight ET 950 to Hong Kong via Addis Ababa.
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“They were both arrested and detained after their body scans revealed they ingested illicit drugs. After days in custody and a number of excretions, Emenike excreted 72 wraps of heroin weighing 1.171 kilograms, while Chidike discharged 49 pellets of cocaine with a total weight of 998.53 grams,” the NDLEA stated.
In his statement, Chidike claimed he is a businessman dealing in spare parts at the Alaba International Market in the Ojo area of Lagos.
He added that he was to be paid N3.5 million, which he intended to use to import goods from Hong Kong.
In a related development, NDLEA operatives at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, MMIA, Ikeja Lagos, on Wednesday, 25th October, intercepted a Qatar Airways flight passenger going to Oman, Agbo Celestine Tochukwu, with a consignment of 58 parcels of skunk weighing 29.10 kg, while undergoing processes to board his flight at terminal 11 of the airport.
The NDLEA said in his statement that Tochukwu claimed he relocated to Oman on May 6 and has been working as a hotel attendant in Oman before venturing into drug trafficking.
Meanwhile, a total of 2,197 kilograms of skunk were recovered in four interdiction operations in parts of Ondo State within four days. While 1,165.5 kg were seized in Uso, Owo LGA, on Wednesday, October 25th, a consignment of 691 kg was recovered from Ukugu forest in Ipele the previous day, October 24th.
A suspect, Ifeanyi Abuguja, 32, was arrested with 87 kg of same substance on Monday, October 23rd, at Agula Road, Ogbese, Akure North LGA, while 253.5 kg were recovered at Ogbese market in Akure North LGA on Thursday, October 26th, 2023.