A suspected drug trafficker arrested recently by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has allegedly confessed that he went into the illegal business to raise money to take care of his Brazilian wife. The suspect, simply identified as Ogbona, together with one other was arrested on his way from Brazil with ceramics allegedly stuffed with cocaine.
There was a mild drama during the search conducted by NDLEA Officials as Ogbona was ranting that they would pay through their nose if they destroyed the ceramics but the Commander NDLEA Murtala Mohammed Airport, Lagos Hamza Umar on suspicion ordered his men to break some of the ceramics promising to pay for the damage.
Crimewatch gathered that when one of the items was broken, substances suspected to be drugs were discovered. An official of NDLEA told Crimewatch that immediately the substance was found; the suspects allegedly started begging the officials and offered to grease their palms if they should allow them to go but they rejected the offer and arrested the them.
Ogbona was quoted as saying, “please forgive me. My Brazilian wife is pregnant and I needed money to take care of her; so when I was offered $IO,OOO dollars, I quickly accepted to take the consignment to Nigeria.
I needed the money urgently; please forgive. The other suspect simply identified as Godgive was alleged to have confessed that he had lived in Brazil for five years looking for money but there was nothing to show for his wasted years so when he was offered N1million he had no alternative than to accept the offer.
He was also quoted as saying that he needed the money badly to enable him re unite with his family in Nigeria. Commander Umar who confirmed the arrest said: “Cocaine industrially concealed inside ceramics meant for interior decoration as well as buttons was discovered by his men at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport (MMIA) Lagos when officers broke the ceramic ornaments.
Two suspected drug traffickers who were arrested in connection with the illegal import from Brazil said that they could not resist the offer made to them by their sponsors.” According to Umar the suspects that imported the narcotics are Ogbonna 38 and Godgive, 45 years old. In his words, “both suspects were found to have concealed cocaine in their luggage’s on their way from Brazil. Ogbonna had 1.435kg of cocaine hidden in ceramics and buttons while Godgive packed 1.180kg of cocaine also in ceramics.
They have given us useful information and investigation is in progress.” Ogbonna who hails from Enugu State had lived in Brazil for two years. He said he was asked to bring samples of the ceramics and buttons to Nigeria for marketing: “I am married to a Brazilian woman who is pregnant for me. I agreed to bring the drugs because I needed money to take care of my pregnant wife.
They promised to pay me $10,000 dollars. It was a good offer and I had planned to use the money to take care of my family” Ogbonna said. He explained that the second suspects, Godgive who had lived in Brazil for five years said that he needed the money to settle down in Nigeria with his wife and four children. Umar quoted him as saying “I went to Brazil in search of greener pastures since 2007. I have tried my best but life has been difficult. They promised to pay me one million naira and I agreed to bring the drugs.
I did not imagine that the drug would be detected but unfortunately the officers broke the ceramics and found the drug”. Chairman/Chief Executive of the Agency, Ahmadu Giade said that the Agency was prepared to uncover the tricks drug barons adopt in smuggling drugs.
“The Agency is prepared to uncover various tricks that drug barons adopt in concealing drugs. This seizure will serve as a warning to the cartels that they are running out of tricks” Giade said the suspects would soon be charged to court.
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