A 41 year-old tailor in Lagos Island has been caught by officials of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) in connection with smuggling of powdery substance suspected to be cocaine. The suspect, Olowe Moshood Adebesin was arrested on his way from Brazil at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport (MMIA) Lagos. Officials discovered the cocaine hidden in his luggage during the inward screening of passengers on a Turkish Airline flight. The banned drug weighing 2.700kg has a street value of 29 million naira.
NDLEA Commander at the Lagos Airport, Mr. Hamza Umar said that the suspect with Nigeria international passport number A00745969 was apprehended during routine check. “Olowe who travelled to Brazil in March 2012 was arrested during routine search of passengers. In the process of search, some substance found in his bag tested positive to cocaine. We have commenced investigation and he will be charged to court soon” Hamza stated.
The suspect has made confessional statement claiming ownership of the drug. In his words, “I am a tailor at Lagos Island. I am married with 3 children. Life is unfriendly to me that I cannot feed my family. The people that sponsored me promised to pay me 2 million naira. I agreed to smuggle the drugs because 2 million naira will change my life. I wanted the best for my family and I never knew things will turn out this way. My intention was to start importing clothes from China with the money but I was not lucky” he stated.
Chairman/Chief Executive of the NDLEA, Ahmadu Giade warned drug traffickers of the consequences of the criminal act. “Drug trafficking is not a game of luck. We shall continue to arrest drug traffickers and prosecute them. We support the culture of success through legitimate business. Those who are in a hurry to get wealth through criminality will end up in prison custody. The suspect is only being greedy and he will face the consequences of his action. He should have weighed the gravity of the offence because the family he loves and seeks to protect, same he had abandoned today” Giade stated. The NDLEA boss also called on members of the public to report suspected cases of illicit drugs to the Agency.
Olowe Moshood Adebesin hails from Abeokuta, Ogun State.
Ofoyeju Mitchell
Head, Public Affairs
