At the screening point of terminal 2 of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Ikeja, Lagos, operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA apprehended a passenger bound for Delhi, India.
Identified as Freeman Charles Ogbonna, he was found to have ingested 80 wraps of cocaine.
According to Femi Babafemi, the spokesperson for the NDLEA, Ogbonna was arrested on Sunday, March 31st, while attempting to board a Qatar Airways flight to Delhi, India via Doha. He was carrying a Liberian international passport under the name Carr Bismark. Subsequent body scanning revealed the presence of illicit drugs in his system.
“Preliminary checks revealed his real identity as Freeman Charles Ogbonna and was subsequently placed under observation in NDLEA custody where he started to manifest signs of discomfort.
Choked by the volume of illicit drugs in his stomach and another substance taken to hold back excretion, the suspect soon began to retch before starting to vomit and excrete wraps of cocaine he ingested almost simultaneously.”
Babafemi stated that the suspect who claimed he was recruited into drug trafficking by one of his relatives eventually passed out a total of 80 wraps of cocaine weighing 889 grams through his mouth and anus over a period of four days.
The great risk that almost took his life notwithstanding, Ogbonna said he was given the drugs to swallow at a hotel in the Ipodo area of Ikeja with a promise to reward him with N300,000 cash if he successfully delivered the consignment in India.
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Also, NDLEA officers at the Lagos airport on Wednesday 3rd April intercepted a drug mule, Imran Taofeek Olalekan at Gate C departure of terminal 1 travelling to Oman with check-in luggage and a backpack. When his check-in bag and backpack were subjected to a thorough search, the operatives discovered a false bottom concealment of drugs in the check-in luggage and the walls of the backpack.
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The NDLEA officers swiftly moved in on a man who accompanied the suspect to the airport. He was later identified as Ishola Isiaka Olalekan who recruited the trafficker.
‘’Imran Taofeek Olalekan said he returned from Dubai some years ago but still has a valid residence permit on his old passport. He claimed he was promised N1,500,000 if he successfully delivers the consignment in Oman, while his recruiter, Ishola was to be paid N200,000.
Curiously, when the two bags were completely unpacked at the NDLEA office, a charm was found in one of the bags while another one was found on the drug mule who confessed that he travelled to Ibadan, Oyo state to meet with an ‘Alfa’ that prepared the charm for him to ensure he was not caught during the trip.
Another charm was also found in the intermediary, Ishola Isiaka Olalekan who accompanied Taofeek to the departure area of the airport. Ishola claimed he procured the charms for the sum of N70,000.”
