The NDLEA nabbed Clement Chukwuemeka, 67, on October 3 at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja for eating 100 wraps of cocaine.
Chukwuemeka told NDLEA agents that he committed the crime to save enough for a new wife and a new life after spending 30 years in Brazil, Ethiopia, and Thailand.
Chukwuemeka was apprehended during an inward screening of passengers on Ethiopian Airlines from Addis Abeba, according to Mr Femi Babafemi, Director, Media and Advocacy at the NDLEA, on Sunday in Abuja.
According to him, he was hauled in for a body scan, which revealed several pellets in his stomach.
“While under observation, he excreted 100 wraps of cocaine weighing 2.195kg in four excretions.
“In his statement, he claimed to have spent 30 years in Brazil, Ethiopia and Thailand, while he was married, but lost his wife and had no child.
“He added that that was why he decided to go into drug trafficking to raise enough money to marry a new wife and start life afresh,’’ Babafemi stated.
On the same day, Oct. 3, NDLEA agents detained a 45-year-old lady, Bilkisu Bello, at the Malam Aminu Kano International Airport in Kano, as she prepared to board a trip to Saudi Arabia.
Bilikisu informed the operators that cocaine pellets supplied to her to take before her trip were kept in a residence in Kano’s Farawa district, according to Babafemi.
“When she led NDLEA officers to the house, 52 wraps of the illicit substance with a total weight of 767grams were recovered,’’ he added.
NDLEA operatives, supported by troops of the Nigerian Army, Civil Defence Corps and Amotekun personnel stormed James Town, Ogunmakin in Obafemi Owode local government area of Ogun, also on Oct. 3.
They located and destroyed 10.38 tonnes of Indian hemp covering more than 4.152 hectares in the town, Babafemi stated.
“On their return trip from the operation, the team intercepted a truck carrying a 40ft container loaded with logs of wood.
“A search of the container led to the recovery of two bags of Indian hemp, weighing 20kg.
“Six suspects in the truck, Ahmed Yusuf, Olaniyi Babatunde, Adedeji Babatunde, Richard John, Osolale Olamilekan and Abdulazeez Saied, were arrested,’’ he added.
Babfemi stated also that on Oct. 1, NDLEA operatives raided Obi Camp in Owan West Local Government Area of Edo.
Thirty sacks of skunk, weighing 300kgs and concealed in charcoal, were evacuated from an old dilapidated mud house in the camp, he stated.
On Oct. 6, the NDLEA also located and destroyed two Indian hemp fields totaling 1.2 hectares in Igbanke Forest, Orhiomwon Local Government Area, Edo.
Tersoo Zaria (28), Ifeanyi Osai (53), Moses David (19), and Daniel Gabriel (20), according to Babafemi, were detained in connection with the farms.
He further stated that a suspect, Auwal Bindow, was apprehended on the Bauchi-Gombe Road on October 6 with 50,000 tramadol capsules.
Babafemi further revealed that on October 4, NDLEA agents apprehended one Anuoluwapo Iyanu (32) on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway with 52 blocks of compressed Indian hemp shaped like pawpaw.
He also mentioned that the hemp weighed 30kg.