Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, have arrested a 32-year-old drug trafficker based in Liberia, Maduabuchi Chinedu, at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja with 9.30 kilograms of cocaine worth over N2.7 billion in street value.
It was gathered that the suspect hails from Obaha Okigwe Village, Okigwe Local Government Area of Imo State, and works as a miner in Liberia.
The Director, Media and Advocacy, NDLEA Headquarters, Abuja, Femi Babafemi disclosed this in a statement titled, ‘NDLEA intercepts N2.7b cocaine at Abuja airport,’ and issued on Thursday.
The statement said the suspect was arrested during an inward joint search of Ethiopian Airlines flight 911 at the Abuja airport on Wednesday, November 24, 2021, with 9.30kg cocaine with each pellet in candy wraps and concealed in his luggage.
“During his preliminary interview, Chinedu claimed he left Nigeria in 2018 to settle in Liberia where he now has a residence permit. He however added that economic pressure and the need to raise money to treat his mother for an eye problem led him to seek help from a friend in Liberia who introduced him to another friend based in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia who eventually gave him the drug to deliver in Abuja for a fee of N1million.
“He added that he was initially scheduled to deliver the drug to Ivory Coast but was rerouted to Nigeria at the last minute.
“While commending the officers and men of the NAIA Command of the Agency for their vigilance and working in synergy with other security agencies at the airport, Chairman/Chief Executive of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Retd) charged them and their colleagues in other commands to always remain two steps ahead of merchants of death who are daily getting more desperate to make money at the expense of the image of the country and Nigerians’ wellbeing”, the statement reads.
