Blog

A pregnant woman and four other suspects have been arrested by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) for attempting to smuggle 6.3kg of narcotics out of the country.

The agency, on Wednesday, disclosed that the pregnant suspect, Osatohanwen Esohe, 29, who was nabbed at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos for ingesting cocaine while trying to board an Alitalia flight to Rome, excreted 27 wraps of the drugs weighing 350g.

“Apart from Chukwuemeka Kingsley that ingested 1.4kg of heroin, Esohe and three others were smuggling 4.8kg of cocaine when they were caught,” said Mitchell Ofoyeju, spokesperson for the agency in a statement.

Hamza Umar, MMIA commander for the agency, disclosed that the pregnant suspect’s action shows no respect for human life, as he described the act as weird.

“They do not have respect for their own lives neither do they respect the dignity of their children,” he said. “This is the height of desperation by drug barons and their associates.”

Mr. Umar gave the names of the other four suspects that were recently apprehended as Arovo Moses, 42, who ingested 1.7kg of cocaine; Darlington Nwanwere, 48, ingested 1.3kg of cocaine; Okeke Anthony, 46, who ingested 1.46kg cocaine; and Chukwuemeka Kingsley, 34, who ingested 1.4kg heroin.

Explaining her reasons for involving in drug peddling, Ms. Esohe disclosed that she was rejected by the man who impregnated her, adding that she had to fend for herself in order to survive.

“I am three months pregnant, and the man that impregnated me refused to take responsibility,” she said. “That was how I got involved in drug trafficking. They promised to pay me 2,000 Euros and I needed the money to take care of myself and the unborn baby.”

According to the agency, Mr. Okeke, a trader and father of three who was to be paid 4,000 pounds, was nabbed on March 19, during screening of passengers on Virgin Atlantic flight to London, while Chukwuemeka Kingsley, the only suspect that ingested heroin, was arrested for swallowing 95 wraps of the substance while trying to board an Alitalia flight to Milan for the sum of 5,000 Euros.

The agency’s spokesperson, however, disclosed that the suspects are to be prosecuted according to the dictates of the law.

“All the suspects will soon be charged to court,” said Mr. Ofoyeju.

A Federal High Court in Ekiti has sentenced a 70-year-old man to five years in jail for being in possession of 230 kg of marijuana.

Dominic Fabunmi, a native of Agbado Ekiti, was arrested last year by officers of the Ekiti State command of the Nigerian Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).

In its charge, the NDLEA said Mr. Fabunmi cultivates cannabis farms usually in Government Reserved Forests and and sells same to his network of clients in the Lagos and South-South areas of the country.

“He has been in the business for long and he stores his products in his house without fear of retribution from the law,” the command says.

Mr. Fabunmi was paraded in public shortly after his arrest alongside his colleagues, who also bagged various jail terms.

The Ekiti State Commander of NDLEA , Prince Benjamin Ikani, said the state is fast becoming a preferred haven for Indian Hemp dealers. He said his agency made the largest drug seizure ever in the history of the agency in the state last year.

“It was 82 tons of cannabis, which was stored in a one-storey house in 5,600 bags. It took a 24 -tyre trailer 7 hours to evacuate,” Mr. Ikani said.

External barons

Mr. Ikani said most of the barons sponsor the cultivation of the weeds from outside the state.

“Because of the fertile nature of Ekiti land and the passiveness and good naturedness of the people, these criminals always have their way. They take advantage of the people and the soil to flourish their trade. Mind you, it only takes three months for the weeds to germinate. So they quickly harvest their products before the land owners catch them in their acts and move them to Lagos or the South-South to feed their clients,” he said.

He also added that his agency is involved in the rehabilitation of at least 36 students of various higher institutions in the state, especially at the state-owned University of Ado -Ekiti (UNAD).