NDLEA ARRESTS CHEMIST WITH CONCAINE

A medicine dealer, Uzochukwu Okeke, has been arrested by the officials of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency with 2.540 kilogramme of cocaine hidden inside laptop bags.

The agency told our correspondent that the 39-year-old man said he committed the offence to ensure that his pregnant wife was well taken care of after birth.

While confessing to the crime, the chemist also claimed that he raised N800, 000 from his colleagues owing to his inability to secure employment having lived for five months in Brazil.

“My intention of going to Brazil was to work at the world football event facilities under construction. I was in Brazil for five months, but could not secure a job. After I exhausted my little savings, life became very unbearable. The only help available was drug trafficking. It was a hard decision for me, but considering that my pregnant wife is almost due for delivery, I accepted an offer of N800,000 from my sponsors,” Okeke stated.

Uzochukwu Okeke

PUNCH Metro learnt that the suspect was found during an inward screening of Etihad passengers at the MMIA with the drugs neatly sealed in laptop bags.

The Commander NDLEA at the airport, Mr. Umar Hamza, confirmed the arrest to our correspondent, saying, “The drug was concealed by the side of the bags. It was factory packed as we had to cut the bag open to recover two parcels containing powdery substances that tested positive for cocaine.”

The Chairman of the anti-narcotic Agency, Mr. Ahmadu Giade qualified the suspect’s excuses as baseless and urged members of the public to avoid getting involved in drug trafficking.

“Members of the public should endeavour to stay off drugs and avoid circumstances that will make them get involved in narcotic smuggling. Spending five months searching for job in Brazil at the detriment of his business and family at home was certainly ill-advised,” Giade stated.