‘I took to drug trafficking to pay my mother’s hospital bills’

Akpata Chukwudi

Ejikoye Jude

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), has arrested two Nigerian for drug trafficking.

The suspects have been identified as Ilechukwu Ejikonye Jude 22 and Akpata Martin Chukwudi 32.

Ejikonye was arrested for trafficking the dreaded methamphetamine substance, while Chukwudi was nabbed for ingesting 20 wraps of cocaine.

Ejikonye was apprehended with 1.295kg of substances found to be methamphetamine on his way to Thailand. The drug was hidden inside his luggage and was detected during the screening of passengers on Ethiopian Airline flight at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport (MMIA) Lagos.

NDLEA Commander at the Lagos Airport, Mr. Hamza Umar said that the drug was carefully hidden in the suspects’ luggage. “Like several factory modes of drug concealment, we had to practically cut the bag open to detect the drugs. Ordinarily when you open the bag you will not see the drug. We found two brown parcels of drugs weighing 1.295kg” Hamza stated.

According to Ilechukwu, he was lured into the drug deal by a friend he met in Thailand.

 In his words, “I am a business man. I relocated to Thailand last year where I buy goods and send to Nigeria. It was in Thailand that I met a man who introduced me into drug business. He gave my number to his partner in Lagos who lodged me in a hotel. They made me to contribute N750, 000 as my contribution and promised me a handsome reward on arrival in Thailand. My focus was on the profit that will accrue to me, it was when I was arrested that I realised I had made a big mistake”.

Chukwudi who was given 800 dollars for ingesting 20 wraps of cocaine has narrated his ordeal in the hands of his sponsors.

He ingested the drug in Brazil and was apprehended at the Lagos Airport. The suspect tested positive to drug ingestion during the inward screening of passengers on Qatar Airline flight. While he was on observation, the suspect allegedly excreted 20 wraps of cocaine weighing 350 grammes. 

The suspect during interrogation owned up to the crime, stating that if he had known, he would not have been involved in drug trafficking.

He said: “I saw hell trying to ingest the drugs in Brazil. They brought about 100 wraps but I was only able to ingest 20. They were angry and disappointed but the more I force myself the more difficult it was for me to swallow. Eventually, they gave me 800 dollars in anger instead of 5,000 dollars. I actually decided to smuggle drugs because I needed money to settle my mother’s hospital bill”.

Mr. Umar said: “investigation revealed that Akpata left Nigeria to Venezuela where he lived for several months before he relocated to Brazil since January 2012. He was apprehended at the arrival hall of the airport when he tested positive to drug ingestion”.

NDLEA Chairman, Ahmadu Giade said that the Agency will investigate all cases and bring drug culprits to justice.