Efforts of the Brig Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (rtd) led National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) to win the illicit drug war in Nigeria is yielding efforts with the arrest of drug traffickers and barons one after the other.
Recently, the agency intercepted 36 blocks of cocaine, weighing 27.95 kilogrammes with a street value of over N8 billion at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, MMIA, Ikeja, Lagos.
The agency’s Director, Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, said this in a statement made available to News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Sunday in Abuja.
Mr Babafemi said a Brazil-based drug kingpin, Ejiofor Felix Enwereaku, who led a syndicate, was arrested at the airport on Friday, May 14, 2021
He said the suspect was arrested for importing 27.95kg of cocaine using an organised criminal gang, which specialised in tagging and planting drugs in innocent travellers’ luggage.
Mr Babafemi added that based on intelligence, narcotic agents at the MMIA had on Saturday May 8th intercepted a bag that arrived the Lagos airport from GRU, Brazil, via Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
He said the baggage with tag No. – ET331199 , arrived through an Ethiopian airline flight but was disclaimed by an arriving passenger on the flight.
He said the disclaimed bag was promptly secured by NDLEA operatives for investigation.
According to him, on Sunday, May 9, a man came to the airport to make inquiry on how to get the disclaimed bag released. He was promptly arrested for investigation.
“The disclaimed bag was opened in the presence of the arriving passenger and the man who came to negotiate the release of the disputed bag.
“When it was opened, it was found that the bag contained 36 blocks of cocaine, weighing 27.95kg.
“A follow up sting operation was carried out, which led to the arrest of Ejiofor Felix Enwereaku, the prime suspect, on Friday 14th May, upon his arrival from Addis Ababa onboard Ethiopian airline,” said Mr Babafemi.
He added that during preliminary interrogation after his arrest, he confessed to have been contracted by his Ethiopian associate, a notorious drug baron, to claim and push out the consignment in Lagos.
He further admitted to have paid the $24,500 bribe in three tranches to compromise NDLEA officers.
“The first was $10,000 delivered through his representative in Lagos and another $10, 000 via his First Bank account while the third tranche of $4,500 was paid at the point of his arrest.
“His group is suspected to be responsible for recruiting traffickers to move illicit drugs to various destinations using Nigeria as their transit location and also planting drugs in the luggage of innocent travellers,” he said.
