NDLEA Arrests Ex-Footballer, Okafor For Cocaine Trafficking

Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have arrested a former footballer, Okafor Junior at the Lagos International airport with 1.40kg of crack cocaine.

Junior was arrested on September 26, upon his arrival from Sao Paulo, Brazil via Addis Ababa, Ethiopia on board an Ethiopian airlines flight.

The 33-year-old had concealed the illicit substance in the handles of his bags and padded the top edges of same with the class A drug.

A statement by the NDLEA signed by its Spokesperson, Femi Babafemi revealed the outcome of preliminary interrogation.

“Okafor disclosed that he was an ex-footballer with the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital, UNTH Enugu FC, where he played for four seasons before leaving for Sri Lanka in 2014.

“He further stated that he moved to Brazil from Sri Lanka after playing for two seasons but could not advance his football career in Brazil due to lack of official documents,” the statement said.

Also arrested was Pamela Odin after she was caught trafficking 2.150kg tablets of Rohypnol through the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.

The 32-year-old mother of one, upon her arrest, confessed to operating a restaurant in Istanbul, Turkey where she was headed on Friday when she was caught.

Odin was attempting to board a Turkish airline flight with the drug concealed inside the pepper and packed among foodstuff.

She told the narcotic officers that she came to Nigeria to see her relatives and buy food items for her restaurant business.

Also, another Brazilian returnee, Ibeh Damian was arrested the same day upon his arrival at the Lagos airport from Sao Paulo, Brazil via an Ethiopian airlines flight.

Ibeh was found to have concealed 3.20kg of black cocaine popularly known as ‘Lucci’ in the false bottoms of his two bags.

He confessed that he was to be paid N3.1m for the successful delivery of the drug in Nigeria.