Officials of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have apprehended a pregnant woman and four other suspects for ingesting 6.265 kg of narcotic drugs at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport (MMIA) Lagos.
The pregnant suspect Osatohanwen Esohe, 29, was detected to have ingested illicit drug with the aid of scanning machine during the screening of passengers on Alitalia flight to Rome. After observation, she expelled 27 wraps of substances that tested positive to cocaine weighing 350 grammes. Apart from one Chukwuma Kingsley Uchemadu that ingested 1.430 kg of heroin, Esohe and three others were smuggling 4.835 kg of cocaine when they were caught.
The NDLEA Airport Commander, Alhaji Hamza Umar who confirmed the arrest of Esohe described her action as weird and unbecoming. He expressed shock at the strange act, stressing that drug suspects have no respect for human lives. "They do not have respect for their own lives, neither do they respect the dignity of their children. This is the height of desperation by drug barons and their associates," Hamza said.
The commander also gave the names of the four suspects that were recently nabbed by the Agency. They include Arovo Moses Amaso, 42, that ingested 1.725 kg of cocaine, Darlington Nwanwere, 48, that ingested 1.300 kg of cocaine, Okeke Anthony Maduabuchukwu, 46 that ingested 1.460 kg of cocaine and Chukwuma Kingsley Uchemadu, 34 that ingested 1.430 kg of heroin.
Esohe who hails from Benin City, Edo State told anti-narcotic officers that the man that impregnated her rejected her and she needed to fend for herself. In her words, "I am three months pregnant. The man that impregnated me refused to take responsibility and I am jobless. That was how I got involved in drug trafficking. They promised to pay me 2,000 euros. This is my first time of smuggling drugs; I only needed money to take care of myself and the unborn baby".
Okeke Anthony Maduabuchukwu a trader that sells frozen foods at Mile 2, Lagos was nabbed on March 19, during the screening of passengers on Virgin Atlantic flight to London. He ingested 72 wraps of cocaine weighing 1.460 kg and was to be paid 4,000 pounds. Chukwuman Kingsley Uchenmadu the only suspect that ingested heroin was to be paid the sum of 5,000 euros for ingesting 95 wraps of heroin weighing 1.430 kg. Darlington Nwanwere, an automobile technician residing at Alagbado, Lagos was also cajoled into swallowing 92 wraps of cocaine weighing 1.300 kg. He was to be paid the sum of 400,000 naira.
All the suspects will soon be charged to court.
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