Man ingests 63 wraps of cocaine

A 40-year-old man, Amobi Okoye, has been arrested by officials of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency for allegedly ingesting substances that tested positive to cocaine.



A statement by the NDLEA Head of Public Affairs, Mr. Mitchell Ofoyeju, said Okoye was arrested at the departure hall of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, while trying to board an Italian flight.

NDLEA Airport Commander, Mr. Hamza Umar, said the ingested substances, detected with the aid of a scanning machine, amounted to 63 wraps, weighing 1.030 kilogramme

He said, “Okoye, who is is resident in Ancona, Italy. While under observation, he excreted a total of 63 wraps of powdery substances that tested positive for cocaine. He is currently under investigation.”

Okoye said he came home in December 2013 in search of a wife, but was lured into drug trafficking when he got broke.

The native of Enugu said, “My involvement in cocaine trafficking was an afterthought. I came to Nigeria in December 2013 to search for a wife. In the process, I spent all the money with me.

“While trying to raise money to buy my ticket back to Italy, I was introduced to drug trafficking. I was promised $4,000 in addition to all travel expenses. It was the only hope I had left.”

Chief Executive of the NDLEA, Mr. Ahmadu Giade, said, “It is in the best interest of the public to shun drug trafficking. The financial inducement offered by drug barons is insignificant compared with the damage to their reputation and that of their families.”