Man, 25, held with N77.2m in Abuja

Giade

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has again apprehended a Bureau De Change operator with N48,450,000 and 86,500,000 CFA Franc (about N28,761,250) cash. It totals about N77,211,250. The 25-year-old operator, John Okafor, who was arrested at the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, said the money belonged to his client.
According to him, his client instructed him to buy dollars for him with the money. He introduced himself as Bureau De Change operator, operating in Anambra State. Okafor explained that he was on an official assignment. He added: “I work for a bureau de change at Onitsha. I was asked to purchase dollars at the foreign exchange market in Abuja with the money. When we got to Abaji, our vehicle was searched and the money was found. That is all I know about it.”
Okafor’s arrest came just weeks after NDLEA arrested on Ibiteye John Bamidele with $2.1 million (about N500 million) in Lagos.
The NDLEA Head, Media and Publicity, Mitchel Ofoyeju, said the monetary exhibit was detected during routine motorised surveillance on Abaji-Abuja Expressway. He said: “The suspect was on board a commercial bus from Onitsha in Anambra State when N48,450,000 was found in a brown carton con-cealed in a sack. He also had on him 86,500,000 CFA Franc.
He claimed that the money belongs to a bureau de change at Onitsha. “John Okafor has been transferred to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for further investigation.” Meanwhile, the NDLEA also arrested a man, Chukwuka Ugbai, with 79 bags of cannabis in his warehouse.
The suspect told NDLEA detectives that he deals in the substance in order to pay his kids’ school fees. Ugbai was arrested at Bako village in Kwali Area Council after the discovery of his cannabis warehouse. The 79 bags of dried weeds tested positive for cannabis and weighed 817kg. NDLEA FCT Commander, Mrs Obijuru Chinyere, said that the suspect was caught red handed at his residence. Stating his own side of the story, Ugbai said: “I can say I was not lucky enough because I don’t know how they detected my cannabis warehouse.
I sell cannabis to take care of my family and pay my children’s school fees. “The officers found 79 bags of cannabis in my store house. I pray to get out of this problem and never to do it again in my life.” But, Ofoyeju said Ugbai would soon be charged to court for unlawful possession of cannabis.
The NDLEA Chairman, Ahmadu Giade, called on the public to adhere strictly to the provisions of the Anti-money Laundering Act. He stated: “The agency is committed to the fight against illicit drugs and related offences such as money laundering.
It is important to comply with the provisions of the act and embrace the cashless policy. “The cannabis seizure made at Bako village is part of ongoing drug supply control plan to cut away drugs from the end users. We shall be vigilant to identify any violation of the NDLEA Act relating to drug trafficking and money laundering.”