The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) says it has arrested one Okey Eze with N2.3 billion worth of cocaine at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.
In a statement on Wednesday, Femi Babafemi, NDLEA spokesman, said Eze was arrested with 350 wraps of cocaine.
Babafemi said the drugs weighed 7.70kilograms, and was concealed in eight packs tucked into different parts of Eze’s luggage.
“The 38-year-old Eze from Oji River, in Oji-River Local Government Area of Enugu State, was arrested on Wednesday, 22nd September, 2021, during an inward clearance of passengers on Ethiopian airline flight number 911 en route Bamako-Addis Ababa- Abuja,” he said.
“In his confession, Eze, a resident of Bamako, Mali, said he has traveled to Mali through the Seme border in Badagry, Lagos state since 2019.
“He further claimed that he came into Nigeria with the drug because he needed to raise money to take care of his late elder brother’s four children.
“The suspect also claimed he asked his friend who is resident in Brazil to assist him with some money but declined and instead told him to pick up a bag with the drugs from a friend of his in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia for a fee of N500,000 on successful delivery to someone whose contact would be sent to him on arrival in Nigeria.
“He also said the bag containing the drugs was given to him on Wednesday morning at Addis Ababa airport.”
According to the statement, Buba Marwa, NDLEA chairman, commended the officers who secured the arrest “for their vigilance”.
