‘I was offered $1,500 to swallow 97 wraps of cocaine’

Etim Effiong

A suspected drug trafficker, Chigbogu Ernest Obiora, 47, under interrogation, said he was promised $1,500 if he successfully trafficked 97 wraps of substances assumed to be cocaine.

The suspect claimed that he needed money and that was the reason why he opted for the ‘deal’.

He said in his confessional statement: “I did it so that I will be capable of feeding my family. I was living in Madagascar but due to the COVID-19 and the lockdown in the country, I couldn’t go back to my place of work.

“There was a time I started lacking money to feed my family and to pay my children’s school fees and the worst part of it is to pay my rent. So, I decided to take the option to do it.”

Obiora added that he never knew he could be arrested while stating that he has never met the real owner of the drug. “I don’t know him, they contacted me on phone and asked if I can do the business”, he claimed.

Obiora was arrested by the Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA at the Muritala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos.

A statement signed by the agency’s spokesperson Femi Babafemi added that Obiora was subsequently put under observation during which he had so far excreted 97 wraps of substances that tested positive to cocaine with a total weight of 1.55 kilogramme and a street value of N360 million.

The suspect was said to have arrived in Lagos on board the airline from Entebbe, Uganda via Addis-Ababa, Ethiopia.

According to the Commander, MMIA Command of the anti-drug law enforcement agency, Ahmadu Garba, “Obiora was intercepted in the E-arrival hall of the airport by the operatives of NDLEA on the suspicion that he ingested drug substance.

“The suspect was taken for body machine scan and the result was positive for ingestion of substance suspected to be illicit drug.

“The suspect was promptly moved to the NDLEA excretion/observation facility.

“Barely an hour after he was arrested, Obiora excreted 31 wraps of cocaine weighing 500 grammes and another 47 wraps (750grammes) in the evening of same day while 19 warps (300 grammes) were excreted the following day, Monday 26th April, bringing the total to 97 wraps, that is, 1.55kg.

Meanwhile, in continuation of efforts to dismantle all drug spots in Ondo State, the state Command of the agency has raided two joints, arrested two dealers, and seized 80.2 kilogrammes of skuchies, while four hectares of cannabis farms were destroyed in Eleyewo area of Akure South Local Government.

The acting commander of the agency in the state, Callys Alumona said a lady, 31 years old Ibukunoluwa Kemi and a 25-year-old young man, Oluwaseun Sunday were arrested with 78kg and 2.2kg of skuchies, respectively.

He added that both were nabbed in different areas of Akure south in the state capital.

Chairman/Chief Executive of the NDLEA, Brig. General Mohamed Buba Marwa (rtd) commended the officers and men of the MMIA and Ondo State Command of the agency for the seizures and arrests.

He urged them and those in other commands across the country not to rest on their oars in the renewed efforts to rid Nigeria of illicit drugs.