NDLEA intercepts N2.7bn cocaine at Abuja Airport.

Abiola Seum

Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), have arrested a 32-year-old suspected drug trafficker based in Liberia, Maduabuchi Chinedu, at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport (NAIA) Abuja with 9.30 kilograms of cocaine worth over N2.7billion in street value.

He was arrested during an inward joint search of Ethiopian Airlines flight 911 at the Abuja airport on Wednesday, November 24, 2021 with 9.30kg cocaine with each pellet in candies wraps and concealed in his luggage.

NDLEA spokesperson, Femi Babafemi, who confirmed the arrest, said the suspect who hails from Obaha Okigwe village, Okigwe local government area of Imo State, lives in Liberia where he works as a miner.

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.

Meanwhile, NDLEA chairman and chief executive, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Marwa (retd), has charged the officers at the NAIA command 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.