Drug Baron Held With N8b Cocaine At Lagos Airport

*Suspect Paid $24,500 Bribe

A suspected drug baron has been arrested at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) Lagos with 36 blocks of cocaine weighing 27.95kg.

Officials of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) apprehended Ejiofor Felix Enwereaku on May 14 with the banned substance whose street value was put at over N8billion, spokesman of the Agency Femi Babafemi said in a statement yesterday.

The statement said Enwereaku heads a syndicate that tags and plants drugs in innocent travellers’ luggage.

The NDLEA said the cocaine consignment was intercepted on Saturday May 8, 2021 after it arrived at the Lagos airport from GRU, Brazil via Addis Ababa, Ethiopia on Ethiopian airline but the luggage with tag No ET331199 was disclaimed by an arriving passenger on the flight.

The disclaimed bag was promptly secured by NDLEA operatives for investigation.

On Sunday, May 9, 2021, a man came to the airport to make inquiries on how to get the disclaimed bag released. He was promptly arrested for investigation.

The disclaimed bag was opened in the presence of the arriving passenger and the man who came to negotiate its release. When it was opened, it was found that it contained 36 blocks of cocaine, weighing 27.95kg.

The man, possibly part of the syndicate, was let go on a promise that would cooperate with the investigation.

“A follow-up sting operation was carried out, which led to the arrest of Ejiofor Felix Enwereaku, the prime suspect, on Friday, May 14, 2021 upon his arrival from Addis Ababa on board Ethiopian airline.

“During preliminary interrogation after his arrest, he confessed to have been contracted by an Ethiopian associate to claim and push out the consignment in Lagos.

He further admitted to have paid $24,500 bribe in three tranches to compromise NDLEA officers.

The first was $10,000 delivered through his representative in Lagos and another $10, 000 via his First Bank account while the third tranche of $4,500 was paid at the point of his arrest.

His group is suspected to be responsible for recruiting traffickers to move illicit drugs to various destinations using Nigeria as their transit location and also planting drugs in the luggage of innocent travelers,” the statement said.