NDLEA arrest 67-year-old for ingesting cocaine to support marriage

Abuja—The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has apprehended a 67-year-old drug trafficker, Chukwuemeka Clement, at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, NAIA, in Abuja. The arrest was made after Chukwuemeka ingested 100 wraps of cocaine.

Chukwuemeka claimed that he entered the world of drug trafficking to raise enough money to marry a new wife and start a fresh life. This decision followed 30 years of living in Brazil, Ethiopia, and Thailand.

NDLEA reported that Chukwuemeka was taken into custody on Tuesday, October 3, during passenger clearance on Ethiopian Airlines flight 951 from Addis Ababa. A body scan revealed multiple pellets in his stomach, leading to further investigation.

He ultimately excreted a total of 100 wraps of cocaine, weighing 2.195 kilograms, in four excretions. In his statement, Chukwuemeka explained that his 30-year overseas stay had been marred by personal losses, including the death of his wife and the absence of children. This led him to engage in drug trafficking as a means to financially support his intention to remarry and start anew.

On the same day, Tuesday, October 3, NDLEA operatives at the Malam Aminu Kano International Airport (MAKIA) in Kano intercepted a 45-year-old woman, Bilkisu Mohammed Bello. She was preparing to board a Saudia Airlines flight to Saudi Arabia and admitted to swallowing pellets of cocaine before her flight. She also disclosed that the drugs were stored in a house in Farawa, Kano.

Upon investigation, 52 wraps of the illicit substance, totaling 767 grams, were recovered from the specified location.