NDLEA nabs student, others with drugs at Abuja, Kano airports

Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have foiled attempts by a 23-year-old secondary school leaver, Iwuyi Princewill Chukwuka, and a Europe-based Nigerian, Peter Nkwo, to export nine kilogrammes of skunkweeds and methamphetamine through the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport (NAIA), Abuja, to Turkey and Belgium respectively.

Peter Nkwo, 37, was arrested on Friday, May 28, 2021 while trying to board an Ethiopian Airline 910 enroute Abuja-Addis Ababa-Brussels, Belgium.

When searched, 3.0kgs of methamphetamine was discovered stuffed in the lining of a false bottom of his luggage. Under interrogation, Peter claimed he had lived in Belgium for 15 years and worked as a forklift driver in an automobile company, where he earned 1,700 Euro per month.

He said he came into Nigeria on April 26 for the burial of his father who died in August, 2019, but buried on April 30 in Awka, Anambra State.

He said after spending two weeks in Awka, he travelled to Uyo for another week to see his sister and later to Lagos to see his girlfriend.

The suspect claimed he lodged in a hotel at Amuwo Odofin in Lagos, where he met two men at the bar by the hotel’s 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, May 28, before he took off to Abuja where he was to take his flight to Brussels.

He said he was promised 3,000 Euro on successful delivery to one Ishmael, in Belgium. He claimed he accepted the offer to deliver the drug to raise some funds to pay back the money he borrowed from friends during the burial of his father.

In the same vein, 23-year-old Iwuyi Princewill Chukwuka was arrested with 6.3kgs of skunkweeds concealed in crayfish and stuffed inside Golden Morn packs during an outward clearance of Turkish Airline flight at the departure hall of the Abuja airport.

During interrogation, he claimed he was travelling for a diploma study in Tourism and Hotel Management at University of Mediterranean, Karpasia, North Cyprus.

Similarly, a 27-year-old graduate of Accountancy, Bayero University, Kano (BUK), Zakaru Baba, has been arrested at the local wing of the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport, Kano, with 6.0kgs of cannabis sativa.

The consignment was flown from Lagos to Kano on Saturday, May 29, through Max Air. The suspect, who turned up to claim the packaged drug, was arrested and had since confessed ownership of the exhibit.

That was 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, Mohamed Buba Marwa, commended the NAIA Commander, Kabir Sani Tsakuwa, and his MAKIA counterpart, Mohammed Ajiya, and the officers and men of the two commands for their vigilance and commitment to ridding the country of illicit substances.