‘I smuggled N100m cocaine because of my traditional wedding’

Juliana Francis

A 36-year-old man, Ibeh Augustine Chukwuma, arrested by Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), has confessed to smuggling cocaine into Nigeria because he desperately wanted to raise money for his forthcoming traditional wedding.

The attempt of Chukwuma to smuggle the cocaine into                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           Nigeria was truncated by the anti-narcotic agents just as Chukwuma was arriving at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport via Ethiopian Airline, with a maximum ECOLAC bag which was found to contain the illicit drug consignment.

The NDLEA spokesman, Jonah Achema, said: “Chukwuma has been a resident of Sao Palo, Brazil where he worked in a construction company since 2011. According to him, he had approached another Nigerian living in Brazil for financial support for his forthcoming traditional marriage in Nigeria and was promised the sum of N500, 000 if he could deliver the drug consignment to an unknown person who will receive him at the airport in Abuja.”

Chukwuma, a primary school leaver, who said his two parents are aged, admitted that he was fully aware of the content of the bag but offered to carry it because of the pressing financial need.

He added: “His name is Emmanuel Paul. He deals in food stuff along with operating a restaurant. He is my friend. I asked him for financial assistance for my marriage and he said he cannot give me the money until I carry the Cocaine. He actually told me that it is drug but I had no choice.”

Chukwuma’s arrest came on the heels of a similar arrest of Udeagwu Emmanuel Ugwuchukwu at the Abuja Airport with 3.1 kilograms of Cocaine from the same Sao Polo, Brazil aboard Ethiopian Airline. The substance was concealed in home theatre musical equipment.

The Commander, NDLEA, Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, Hamisu Lawan said: “Five kilograms of pure Cocaine is a huge seizure knowing that if adulterated is worth a N100million. Overtime, we have seen a decrease in the volume of interceptions, but we are surprised that this quantity is coming again. Our interactions with some suspicious passengers indicate urgent need to have closer link with Ethiopian counter-narcotic officials because intelligence indicates  that the place is being used for warehousing of drugs or relay purposes for drug trafficking.”