From Olukayode Idowu, Abuja
Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, have foiled attempts to export skunk and methamphetamine through Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja to European countries of Turkey and Belgium.
A statement by the spokesman of NDLEA, Femi Babafemi said operatives of the agency were able to arrest a 23-year-old secondary school leaver, Iwuyi Chukwuka and a Europe based Nigerian, Peter Mkwo while attempting to export nine kilogrammes of skunk and methamphetamine through the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, NAIA, Abuja to Turkey and Belgium respectively.
He said Peter Mkwo, 37, was arrested on Friday May 28, 2021 while trying to board an Ethiopian Airline 910 enroute Abuja-Addis Ababa- Brussels, Belgium.
He disclosed that when he was searched, 3 kilogrammes of methamphetamine was discovered stuffed in the lining of a false bottom of his luggage.
He said under interrogation, Mkwo claimed he has lived in Belgium for 15 years and worked as a forklift driver in an automobile company, where he earned €1,700 per month. He said he had traveled into Nigeria on 26th April, for the burial of his father who died in August, 2019 but buried on 30th April in Awka, Anambra State.
He said after spending two weeks in Awka, he traveled to Uyo for another week to see his sister and later to Lagos to see his girlfriend. He claimed he Lodged in a hotel at Amuwo Odofin in Lagos where he met two men while hanging at the bar by the hotels swimming pool where they made a proposal to him to carry the drug for onward delivery to Belgium.
He said the bag containing the drug was brought to him in the hotel by the two men on Friday 28th May before he took off to Abuja where he was to take his flight to Brussels.
He disclosed that he was promised €3,000 on successful delivery to one Ishmael, in Belgium, while claiming that he accepted the offer to deliver the drug to raise some fund to pay back the money he borrowed from friends during the burial of his father.
Twenty-three-year-old Iwuyi Chukwuka, who was arrested with 6.3 kilogrammes skunk concealed in cray fish and stuffed inside Golden Morn packs during an outward clearance of Turkish airline flight at the departure hall of the Abuja airport, during interrogation claimed he was travelling for a Diploma study in Tourism and Hotel Management at University of Mediterranean, Karpasia, North Cyprus.
In another arrest, a 27-year-old graduate of Accountancy from the Bayero University, Kano (BUK), Zakaru Baba was arrested at the local wing of the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport, Kano with 6 kilogrammes of cannabis sativa.
The consignment was flown from Lagos to Kano on Saturday, 29th May via Max Air.
The suspect who turned up to claim the packaged drug was arrested and has since confessed ownership of the exhibit. This is the first time the Command has apprehended a suspect via the domestic wing of the Airport, as most arrests and seizures are usually made at the international wing.
In his reaction, Chairman/Chief Executive of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa (Retd) commended the NAIA Commander, Kabir Tsakuwa, and his MAKIA counterpart, Mohammed Ajiya, as well as the officers and men of the two Commands for their vigilance and commitment to the task of ridding the country of illicit substances. He charged them not to rest on their oars.
