School Leaver, Graduate Arrested With Drugs At Abuja, Kano Airports

A 23-year-old secondary school leaver, Iwuyi Princewill Chukwuka has been arrested by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), authorities confirmed on Tuesday.

NDLEA spokesman, Femi Babafemi said Chukwuka was arrested alongside a Europe-based Nigerian, Peter Mkwo for attempting to export nine kilograms of skunk and methamphetamine through the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja to Turkey and Belgium respectively.

Mkwo, 37, was apprehended on May 28 while trying to board an Ethiopian Airline 910 en route Abuja-Addis Ababa-Brussels, Belgium with 3kg of methamphetamine stuffed in the lining of a false bottom of his luggage.

“Under interrogation, Peter claimed he has lived in Belgium for 15 years and worked as a forklift driver in an automobile company, where he earned One Thousand Seven Hundred (1,700) Euro per month. He said he came into Nigeria on 26th April, for the burial of his father who died in August 2019 but buried on 30th April in Awka, Anambra State,” the statement partly read.

“He said after spending two weeks in Awka, he traveled to Uyo for another week to see his sister and later to Lagos to see his girlfriend. He claimed he Lodged in a hotel at Amuwo Odofin in Lagos where he met two men while hanging at the bar by the hotel’s swimming pool where they made a proposal to him to carry the drug for onward delivery to Belgium.

“He said the bag containing the drug was brought to him in the hotel by the two men on Friday 28th May before he took off to Abuja where he was to take his flight to Brussels.  He said he was promised Three Thousand (3,000) Euro on successful delivery to one Ishmael, in Belgium. He claimed he accepted the offer to deliver the drug to raise some fund to pay back the money he borrowed from friends during the burial of his father.”

The anti-narcotics agency said the school leaver was arrested with 6.3kg skunk concealed in cray fish and stuffed inside Golden Morn packs during an outward clearance of Turkish airline flight at the departure hall of the Abuja airport.

During interrogation, he claimed he was travelling for a Diploma study in Tourism and Hotel Management at University of Mediterranean, Karpasia, North Cyprus.

Elsewhere in Kano State, a 27-year-old graduate of Accountancy, Bayero University, Kano (BUK), Zakaru Baba was also apprehended at the local wing of the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport with 6kg of cannabis sativa.

The consignment was flown from Lagos to Kano on May 29 via Max Air.

NDLEA explained that the suspect confessed ownership of the exhibit, adding that it is the first time the Command has apprehended a suspect via the domestic wing of the Airport, as most arrests and seizures are usually made at the international wing.

Reacting to the arrests, NDLEA Chairman/Chief Executive, Brig. General Mohamed Buba Marwa (Retd) commended the NAIA Commander, Kabir Sani Tsakuwa, and his MAKIA counterpart, Mohammed Ajiya, as well as the officers and men of the two Commands for their vigilance and commitment to the task of ridding the country of illicit substances.

He charged them not to rest on their oars as the Agency intensifies the war against drug abuse and trafficking in Nigeria.