My Mother’s Eye Problem Pushed Me Into Drug Trafficking, Says Man Arrested With N2.7bn Cocaine

Maduabuchi Chinedu, a Nigerian residing in Liberia, has been arrested while trying to move N2.7 billion worth of cocaine through the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) said it arrested Chinedu with 9.30 kilograms of cocaine concealed in candy wraps.

The suspect blamed economic pressure and the need to raise money for his mum’s eye surgery for his action.

“The suspect who hails from Obaha Okigwe village, Okigwe Local Government Area of Imo state, lives in Liberia where he works as a miner. He was arrested during an inward joint search of Ethiopian Airlines flight 911 at the Abuja airport on Wednesday 24th November 2021 with 9.30kg cocaine with each pellet wrapped in candies wraps and concealed in his luggage,” said NDLEA’s director of media, Femi Babafemi.

“During his preliminary interview, Chinedu claimed he left Nigeria in 2018 to settle in Liberia where he now has a residence permit. He however added that economic pressure and the need to raise money to treat his mother for an eye problem led him to seek help from a friend in Liberia who introduced him to another friend based in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia who eventually gave him the drug to deliver in Abuja for a fee of N1million. He added that he was initially scheduled to deliver the drug in Ivory Coast but was rerouted to Nigeria at the last minute.

“While commending the officers and men of the NAIA Command of the Agency for their vigilance and working in synergy with other security agencies at the airport, Chairman/Chief Executive of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Retd) charged them and their colleagues in other commands to always remain two steps ahead of merchants of death who are daily getting more desperate to make money at the expense of the image of the country and Nigerians’ wellbeing.”

In September, the NDLEA revealed that it had seized illicit drugs worth N100 billion between January and August 2021.

At least 8,634 suspected drug traffickers were also arrested during the period, including 6,461 males and 547 females, Babafemi had told journalists in Abuja.