A 28 year old single mother and four other suspected drug traffickers have been apprehended over alleged ingestion of 398 wraps of narcotics. The drugs weighing 7.1kg consist of 1.1kg of methamphetamine and 6kg of cocaine. The suspects were caught by men of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport (NAIA) Abuja.
NDLEA Commander at the Abuja Airport, Mr Hamisu Lawan gave the names of the suspects as Udoka Peace Egbuchelam, 28 year old single mother who ingested 73 wraps of methamphetamine weighing 1.1kg; Ezechi Chinedu Nwabueze, 45 years old who ingested 95 wraps of cocaine weighing 2kg and Uzoukwu Uzomba Joel, 54 years old who ingested 85 wraps of cocaine weighing 1.5kg. Others are Obiora Boniface Okechukwu 36 years old who ingested 91 wraps of cocaine weighing 1.6kg and Eze Onyebuchi Everest 32 years old who swallowed 54 wraps of cocaine weighing 900 grammes.
According to Hamisu, apart from Udoka Peace Egbuchelam and Ezechi Chinedu Nwabueze who were to board Ethiopian Airline flights to Malaysia and Istanbul other suspects were caught during inward screening of passengers.
The only female among the five suspects said that she wanted enough money to pay for tuition fees of her 5 year old daughter. In her words, “I wanted to pay the school fees of my daughter. Since my arrest, I have been worried because I do not know how she is coping without me. The people that gave me the drug promised to pay me the sum of 2,700 dollars” Udoka stated. Udoka Peace Egbuchelam hails from Mbaitolu Local Government Area of Imo State. She attended Nza Central School Uzobulu and Girls Secondary School Uzobulu.
Ezechi Chinedu Nwabueze a trader that sells shirts in Benin Republic ingested 95 wraps of cocaine weighing 2kg. He hails from Uzowani Local Government Area of Enugu State. “I am the only child of my parents. My problem began when my shop got burnt and nobody was willing to help me. I was to deliver the drugs in Istanbul, Turkey” he stated.
Another suspect, Uzoukwu Uzomba Joel left Brazil with 85 wraps of cocaine weighing
1.5kg in his stomach. His reason for smuggling cocaine according to him is frustration and sickness. He left Sao Paulo, Brazil, to Doha, Cairo and Abuja. Other suspects that attempted smuggling drugs from Brazil are Obiora Boniface Okechukwu and Eze Onyebuchi Everest.
Chairman/Chief Executive of the NDLEA, Ahmadu Giade said that the single mother would have been killed if she was caught outside the country because of the capital punishment for drugs in Malaysia. He urged members of the public to avoid drug trafficking. “We are happy to prevent the untimely death of another Nigerian over drug trafficking” Giade stated.
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