The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has intercepted a drug trafficker, Goodluck Igbineweka Odeh, at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, NAIA, with 2kilogramme of heroin, which has a street value of N564million, concealed in the lining of false bottom of his suitcase.
Spokesperson of the agency, Femi Babafemi, who disclosed this in a statement on Sunday, April 4, said the 40-year-old suspect from Ikpoba Okha Local Government area of Edo state, was arrested at the departure lounge of the Abuja airport during an outward clearance of Ethopian aircraft 911 enroute Abuja-Addis Ababa-Italy.
Under interrogation, Odeh claimed he has been living in Italy since 2015 when he got into the country through Libya. He said he works as a labourer in a farm in Italy with a pay of about 50 Euro a day, adding that he also works as a flyer distributor when farming season is over and gets as much as 50 Euro/day.
Odeh claimed he came to Nigeria over two weeks ago to see his family in Nigeria and also use same opportunity to buy foodstuffs to sell on his return to Italy.
He added that after spending some days between Edo and Delta states where he bought some foodstuffs, he equally travelled to Lagos to buy part of the foodstuffs and bushmeat, which according to him is cheaper.
The suspect claimed he did not know how the drug found its way into the bag as he bought the suitcase from a second hand material open market in Lagos not knowing that it contained the drug. When further asked of the market address, he said he does not know the address.
Odeh said he was accompanied to the market where he bought the suitcase by a man he claimed he first met the day he arrived Lagos from Benin, adding that he came into Abuja from Lagos for onward trip to Italy.
According to the Commander, Abuja airport Command of NDLEA, Kabir Sani Tsakuwa, charges has already been filed against the suspect while further investigations continue to explore other leads on the case.
In his reaction to the latest drug bust, Chairman of the anti-drug law enforcement agency, Brig. General Mohamed Buba Marwa (Retd) commended the Commander, officers and men of the Abuja airport for their vigilance.
He said wherever the criminal elements go to export or import illicit drugs through our borders, they will surely have the new NDLEA to contend with.