Chinedu Eze
5 October 2008
Lagos — National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has foiled an attempt by five suspected trans-border drug traffickers to smuggle 3.471 kilogrammes of cocaine into Nigeria .
A statement from the agency yesterday stated that some of the suspected drugs were concealed in shoe soles; others ingested the drugs which they excreted while under observation.
Three of the suspects were arrested at Seme town and the other two at Gbaji check point along Lagos Badagry expressway.
"The NDLEA Seme Commander Alhaji Isah Adoro gave the names of the five suspects arrested in September as Collins Okafor, 28, Uche Okiako, 39, Sokey Oluaha, 33, Ani Joseph Sunday, 35 and his Guinean accomplice Bah Mamadou Lamarana, 30. Adoro promised that the command is poised to check any act of illicit drug trafficking at the border."
The statement signed by the agency's spokesman, Mitchell Ofoyeju, noted that Collins Okafor who claimed to be a supplier of telephone accessories was found to be neck deep in the illicit act.
"In a confessional statement, the suspect accepted ownership of 57 wraps of substance he ingested which tested positive for cocaine weighing 1.179 kilogrammes. Collins ingested the drug in Guinea and travelled from Conakry to Nigeria by road. He was caught at the border on September 25, 2008 at about 2 am. He said he deposited 1,300 Euros for the drug because he works for a drug syndicate in Guinea ."
The statement disclosed that preliminary investigation conducted by the command revealed that Collins a Senior Secondary School Certificate holder of 1999 was the person that introduced his in-law Uche Okafor into the illicit business.
Collins said he hails from Ngo village in Ndemili Local Government Area of Anambra State and Uche was arrested same time with Collins.
Uche was found to have ingested 33 wraps of cocaine weighing 692 kilogrammes in Conakry and travelled by road with Collins.
Explaining why he was involved in the illicit trade, Uche said indebtedness made him to traffic in drugs.
"The 4,500 dollars I borrowed from friends to buy shoes in Ghana which I supplied to my customers at Tejuosho market in Lagos went just like that when the market was demolished. The little money left with me was used to settle hospital bill when my wife was sick and had to undergo an operation. It was my dad that gave me ten thousand naira for me to come back to Lagos . So I was praying to cross successfully with the drugs because to feed was a problem to me," Uche who hails from Orumba South Local Government Area of Anambra State told NDLEA officials.
The statement also said that Sokey Oluaoha also claimed to be dealing in illicit drugs because of poverty.
Oluaoha who is Ordinary Diploma graduate of Structural Engineering from the Rivers State Polytechnic Bori, Rivers State said he produces paint but lack of capital to commence full scale production hindered the job.
According to him, he took off from Cotonuo in Benin Republic with 35 wraps of cocaine in his stomach weighing 600 grammes.
He is from Isiukwuato Local Government Area of Abia State but resides at Satellite town in Lagos . Sokey is married with a child.
The other culprits, Ani Joseph Sunday and his Guinean accomplice Bah Mamadou Lamarana were intercepted on September 1, 2008 during routine check of passengers at the arrival wing of Gbaji check point along Lagos Badagry expressway.
While conducting search, the shoe where the drug was concealed was found inside the bag of the Guinean.
Ani Sunday found to be an expert in drug concealment and packaging confessed to have bought and packed the drug in two parcels carefully concealed in the soles of canvass shoe which he kept inside the bag of the Guinean.
Ani hails from Umunede in Delta State but resides at No 9 Simick Street, Agric Bus Stop, Ojo Lagos when in Nigeria .
He also has been involved in the illegal narcotic drug trade in Guinea for over a year. His Guinean accomplice Bar Mamadou lives in Nongo Ratoma in Conakry .
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