The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) says it has arrested one Maduabuchi Chinedu with 9.30 kilograms of cocaine worth over N2.7 billion at Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.
In a statement on Thursday, Femi Babafemi, NDLEA spokesperson, said the 32-year-old Liberia-based suspect was arrested during an inward joint search of Ethiopian Airlines flight 911 at the Abuja airport on November 24.
Babafemi said the suspect who hails from Obaha Okigwe village, Okigwe LGA, Imo state, lived in Liberia where he worked as a miner.
The spokesman said the 9.30kg cocaine was concealed in candy wraps and placed inside the suspect’s language.
“During his preliminary interview, Chinedu claimed he left Nigeria in 2018 to settle in Liberia where he now has a residence permit,” the statement reads.
“He however added that economic pressure and the need to raise money to treat his mother for an eye problem led him to seek help from a friend in Liberia who introduced him to another friend based in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia who eventually gave him the drug to deliver in Abuja for a fee of N1million.
“He added that he was initially scheduled to deliver the drug to Ivory Coast but was rerouted to Nigeria at the last minute.”
