Two suspected drug traffickers have been
arrested by operatives of the National Drug
Law Enforcement Agency attached to the
Murtala Muhammed International Airport,
Lagos, for smuggling 6.6 kilogrammes of
cocaine into the country.
PUNCH Metro learnt that the suspects –
Michael Okwuma and Chidiebere Nwajagu
– allegedly smuggled the drugs into the
country from Brazil.
While Okwuma hid the drugs inside
wooden frames, Nwajagu was said to have
concealed same in cartons of whisky
bottles.
Our correspondent gathered that the drugs
were uncovered at the MMIA during an
inward screening of passengers on board a
South African Airways and an Emirates
flight.
Okwuma, 31, told investigators that he was
introduced to the crime by a Nigerian in
Brazil and was paid $3,000 (about N600,
000). He said he had wanted to use the
money to augment his meagre salary.
He said, “I live in Sao Paulo with my wife
and child. I work in a supermarket but my
salary is not sufficient to take care of my
family. The man that gave me the drugs is
like a father to me.
“He usually renders me financial
assistance. He was the one that bought my
ticket and gave me the $3,000. I was very
happy for the gesture. He also gave me a
bag containing children’s clothes and
wooden frames to take to Nigeria. When I
got to Lagos, NDLEA officers opened the
bag and found the cocaine.”
Nwajagu, who is 30 years old, said he took
to drug trafficking to raise funds for his
business. He added that he was introduced
to drug trafficking by a friend in Lagos.
He said, “I was in my village in Anambra
doing menial jobs to sustain myself. I came
to Lagos on a short visit when I met an old
friend. He was very nice to me as he used
to give me money, buy me drinks and food.
“He told me to travel to Brazil and help
him bring a bag back to Nigeria. He said he
would give me enough money to help me
start a business. That was how I travelled
out of Nigeria. On arrival, the bag was
searched and the cocaine was found inside
packs of Irish whiskey. I never knew I
would end up this way.”
The NDLEA Commander at the MMIA, Mr.
Ahmadu Garba, who confirmed the arrests,
put the street value of the drugs at N59m.
“Okwuma was found in possession of 3.4kg
of cocaine hidden inside wooden frames
and Nwajagu Chidiebere was found with
3.2kg of cocaine hidden inside packs of
Irish whiskey. The drug has an estimated
street value of N59m.
“Okwuma took off from Guarulhos
International Airport Sao Paulo, Brazil on a
South African Airways flight through
Johannesburg to Lagos. Nwajagu
Chidiebere also left Brazil on an Emirates
flight through United Arab Emirates to
Lagos. Both suspects will soon be charged
to court,” Garba said.
Meanwhile, a Federal High Court in Lagos
on Thursday ordered the prison remand of
two men, Ikenna Ozoh and Ogbo Obiora,
for allegedly laundering about N128m, said
to be the proceeds of illegal narcotics
business.
The remand of the two followed their
arraignment on four counts of money
laundering by the NDLEA.
The agency specifically accused Obiora of
collaborating with one Chinedu, who is
now at large, to conceal N128m in his
(Obiora’s) personal savings bank account
with Diamond Bank.
The accused persons were said to have
committed the offence between February
2014 and 2015.
Ikenna and Obiora were said to have been
arrested on September 9, 2015 at the
MMIA, Ikeja, Lagos State, during the
outward clearance of passengers onboard
an Etihad Airline flight to Brazil.
The NDLEA prosecutor, Mr. Ibrahim Abu,
also told the court that the sum of $34,000
was recovered from Ikenna, which he
failed to declare to the Nigeria Customs
Service, “knowing that the said money
directly or indirectly represents proceeds
of a criminal conduct, to wit: dealing and
trafficking in narcotic drugs.”
Abu said the offence was contrary to
sections 2(5), 15(1)(b) and 18 (a) of the
Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act 2011,
stressing that the accused persons were
liable to being punished under sections
16(a) and 17(a) of the same law.
Ikenna and Obiora, however, pleaded not
guilty to the four counts levelled against
them.
Following bail applications by their lawyer,
Mr. Victor Abana, Justice Saliu Saidu
admitted both Ikenna and Obiora to bail in
the sum of N20m with two sureties each in
like sum.
The judge said one of the sureties must be
a civil servant either with the federal or
state government and must be on at least a
Level 17 official.
The second surety, the judge said, must be
a blood relation of the accused persons,
who must own a landed property in Lagos
and must also be resident in Lagos State.
Justice Saidu also ordered the handover of
the accused persons’ passports to the
NDLEA.
He, however, ordered the prison remand
of the two accused pending the fulfilment
of their bail conditions.
The matter was adjourned till February 2,
2016.
No comments:
Post a Comment