By Ibekimi Oriamaja
Mathew Bassey, a suspected human trafficker, attempted to export illicit drugs to Dubai, United Arab Emirates, by concealing the substance in the luggage of an orphan, Ms. Peter Gift Eno, at Lagos’ Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA).
According to its spokesman, Femi Babafemi, Eno was hired for a fictitious job in the United Arab Emirates.
According to Babafemi, the 29-year-old Bassey from Oron in Akwa Ibom state was apprehended on Wednesday, July 6th, after Eno was intercepted at the Lagos airport’s departure hall.
Eno claimed that when his luggage was searched, 50 parcels of cannabis (2.80kg) hidden in food items were discovered.
He also stated that her declared age and the date of birth on her international passport differed.
“According to another interview, Mathew Bassey, the human trafficker who recruited her and brought her to the airport, was still waiting for her departure.” He was apprehended and tracked down quickly.
“According to investigations, the victim, who is from the same Oron LGA in Akwa Ibom State as Bassey, recently lost her mother, making it easy for Bassey to recruit her with the promise of securing her a job in Dubai, UAE.
“It was also discovered that the recruiter preyed on the victim’s gullibility by planting drugs in her bag for delivery to his contact in Dubai,” Babafemi said.
In a related development, after receiving intelligence from the Department of State Security, NDLEA operatives apprehended Aloysius Ajuruchukwu Onyekwe (a.k.a. Kelvin) in Ibadan, Oyo state.
According to the statement, “Onyekwe, 26, of Owerri West LGA, Imo state, was arrested on Sunday 3rd July at Ojo park Ibadan where he went to board a vehicle en route Sokoto to Algeria.” He was accompanied by Blessing Nwoke, an 18-year-old lady. The father of a 10-month-old child who passed out 47 pellets of cocaine in five excretions admitted that he began his journey to Algeria in the Cele area of Okota, Lagos, where he consumed the 1.1kg illegal drug.
“In Oyo state, 1,900 Tramadol 225mg tablets were seized from a drug dealer, Mustapha Ijabula, 22, who was arrested in a Yola-bound commercial vehicle stopped for routine search along the Lagos-Ibadan expressway.” He is from the Mubi district of Adamawa state.
“On Friday, July 8th, a trans-border trafficker, Fonkou Dassi, 31, was apprehended with 6,000 Tramadol 225mg tablets weighing 3kg by officers of the Agency’s Marine Unit when the commercial boat he boarded was intercepted and searched on his way to Cameroon.” The drugs were discovered inside an indomie noodles cartoon, which was hidden by the suspect.
“In a similar vein, on Tuesday, July 5th, a wanted drug dealer, Uduak Edidiong Samuel, 29, was apprehended after attending a court proceeding where his wife was on trial for another drug case.” When his home was searched on June 27th, the suspect abandoned a cannabis sativa exhibit weighing 9kg and has since fled. When Uduak was arrested on Tuesday, he was still in possession of a skunk wrap.
“Beauty Dauda, 27, of Edo state, was arrested in a densely populated slum along the Lagos bypass in Benin City with various quantities of Meth, heroin, cannabis, and crack cocaine.” On Wednesday, July 6th, she was apprehended after NDLEA agents broke through the ring of protection she was frequently provided by hoodlums and touts in the area.
“Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Retd), Chairman/CEO of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, has praised officers and men from the Agency’s MMIA, Oyo, Akwa Ibom, and Edo commands for remaining vigilant and proactive in their areas of responsibility.” He warned them, as well as their colleagues across the country, not to relent.”
