The suspected drug trafficker who broke through a glass wall at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport (NAIA) Abuja has told officials of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) that he was not under any influence of drugs and that he was only trying to evade arrest. The suspect Michael Nwobodo who ran through a glass wall at the Abuja airport on Monday after being found with drugs is currently receiving medical attention. He was found with eighty-one (81) suspected pellets of hard drugs that tested positive for cocaine with a total weight of 1.350kgs.
Michael Nwobodo made a spectacle of himself by breaking through a glass wall all in a bid to escape from lawful custody. The thirty-one year-old technician was immediately apprehended. He concealed 81 wraps of cocaine in Parker Whisky packs along with boxes of chocolates inside a duty free bag. The seizure was made during screening of passengers on an Emirates airline flight from Dubai.
NDLEA commander at the Abuja airport, Mr. Hamisu Lawan said that the suspect was taken to the hospital for further medical test on Tuesday. “Though the suspect was treated for the injuries he sustained while attempting to escape on Monday, we had to take him for medical examination again. This is to ensure that he is strong and medically fit to undergo trial. Investigation has commenced into the case” Hamisu stated.
The suspect told investigators that he ran away because he was afraid of arrest. “I am not under the influence of drugs. I was only scared of arrest. I live and work in Dubai. I came to Nigeria for my father’s burial but decided to bring the drugs because I needed money for the burial rite. When the drug was discovered, I felt so disappointed and confused. I was ashamed of myself and never wanted to be associated with drug trafficking that was why I had to run”. He hails from Enugu State.
NDLEA Chairman/Chief Executive, Col. Muhammad Mustapha Abdallah rtd assured stakeholders that no criminal will escape justice. “The Agency will continue to work very hard in ensuring that drug traffickers are arrested and prosecuted. As we advance the frontiers of the war against drug cartels, we are prepared to adopt new and sophisticated strategies in winning this important fight. I am pleased with this arrest and I thank the officers and members of the airport community for their support” Abdallah stated. He also urged members of the public to be vigilant and report suspected drug barons to the Agency.
This is the second case of a suspect creating a scene at the Abuja airport in less than four weeks. The first was a 48 year-old woman, Saidat Hassan that allegedly vomited 15 wraps of white, powdery substances that tested positive for cocaine. The mother of three was arrested at the central screening section of the departure hall during outward screening of passengers on an Egypt Airline flight to Jedda, Saudi Arabia, en-route Cairo. She also ingested 80 wraps of cocaine weighing 904 grammes.
Michael Nwobodo will soon be charged to court.
Ofoyeju Mitchell
Head, Public Affairs
