Chinelo Obogo
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Lagos State command, Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Commander Garba Ahmadu, has revealed that the agency has carried out 54 seizures and arrested 64 drug smugglers in nine months.
Speaking with our correspondent in his office in Lagos, Ahmadu said his command was determined to rid the country of drug smugglers who he said are putting the lives of others at risk by making them work like mules.
He said the agency recently arrested a 55-year old man, Kouassi Jean-Paul, also known as Eze Ikechuwku, during the outward clearance of passengers on an Ethiopian Airline flight to Jakarta, Indonesia. Ikechukwu had swallowed 80 wraps of methamphetamine and freely excreted 79 wraps with one trapped in his system.
“We are not relenting in our fight against drugs and so far, the amount of drugs seized from suspects from January 2019 to August 31, 2019, stands at 260.202kg of drugs. Among them are cocaine, 20.360, heroin, 15.040kg, cannabis sativa, 112.242, methamphetamine, 84.920 and ephedrine, 28.140kg.
“A 55-year old man, Kouassi Jean-Paul, also known as Eze Ikechuwku, was recently arrested during the outward clearance of passengers on Ethiopian Airline flight to Jakarta, Indonesia. He swallowed 80 wraps of methamphetamine and freely excreted 79 wraps with one which was trapped in his system.
“The suspect was referred to the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH) from NAF Clinic and on June 18, 2019, a CT scan was carried out on him. He was examined by a team of top medical specialist led by Prof. Ibrahim, the chief consultant surgeon and Dr. Akanbi, a senior resident doctor at LASUTH. The specialist recommended an advance scan and on June 26, 2019, the endoscopy was carried out. Surgical operation was carried out on the suspect and the remaining one wrap trapped in his system was extracted,” Ahmadu said.
The suspect, Mr. Ikechuwkwu confirmed to reporters that he ingested 80 pellets of meth but said he was saved when the doctors extracted them from his stomach. He, however, expressed remorse for his actions, saying that he would not advise anyone to undertake such a venture because of the risk involved.
“I was lured into the drug business because I was passing through financial difficulty. I met a man who promised to help me out of the difficulty and he introduced me to someone else who gave me the drugs to transport to Indonesia. I ingested them but I was caught at the airport and doctors had to open up my stomach to bring out all the 80 pellets,” he said.