Two suspected traffickers of illicit drugs arrested by operatives of National Drug Law Agency. (NDLEA) at Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, have called on prospective carriers in Nigeria, to shun the temptation if they don’t want to ruin their lives and damage the integrity of their family members
.The suspects, Adindu Obinna Hyacinth Male, 45 years and Alhaja Sulaimon Kudirat Aduni, female, 54 years were arrested by operatives NDLEA operatives on the October 12 and 26, 2019 during outward screenings of passengers on Lufthansa and Virgin Atlantic flights respectively at the Lagos airport.
While Alhaja Sulaimon’s destination was United Kingdom, Adindu was on his way to Germany.
The duo who confessed that they yielded to the temptation of trafficking in illicit drugs when contacted by some friends, lamented that being arrested for the crime is more disgraceful than any financial hardship anyone may suffer in life.
Alhaja Sulaimon, a textile dealer on Lagos Island, told African Business Travel News africanbusinesstravel.com.ng she was introduced into drug trafficking by a U.K based friend because of financial hardship after she incurred loses in her textile business.
“I regret my involvement in drug trafficking. I have become a big disgrace to my children. Though I was forced into this because of financial hardship, but I want to advise that every person who may be approached to engage in trafficking illicit drug should resist the temptation. Because, there is no way you can escape not being caught. I also want to tell everybody that hard time doesnt lasts but for the disgrace of being caught with hard drug is a generational disgrace,” Sulaimon said.
She confessed that the sponsor promised to pay her a sum of One Million Naira if she succeeded on the trip.
“I was a textile dealer on Lagos Island. But after I lost all the money I was trading with, I was confronted with a lot of financial hardship. I couldn’t feed myself and my six children, I was unable to pay their school fees. It was during this period that a friend based in London came to introduce trafficking of drug to me, with a promise that if I succeeded trafficking the drug to London, I would be paid a sum of one million naira only. That was why I accepted to try it and I was caught by NDLEA officers at the airport while I wanted to board the flight to London,” Sulaimon said.
On how many times she had travelled to the United Kingdom or trafficking in illicit drugs, Sulaimon said it would have been her first trip to the European country, just as she said the illfated trip was her first attempt at trafficking in drug.
“I have never been to London before. This is my first trip to London. Also, this is my first attempt at trafficking any illicit drug,” she said.
For Adindu, the Onitsha based spareparts dealer, said he fell for the temptation to engage in illicit drug trafficking after he lost all his capital to armed robbers. He said he was introduced to the illicit ventured by a friend he simply identified as Chucks, with a promised that he would be rewarded with a sum of three million Euros if he successful couriered the illicit drug to Germany.
“I am a spareparts dealer in Onitsha market. I went into drug trafficking because of financial hardship after I lost all my money to armed robbers. Then, a friend came to my rescue and promised to pay me three million Euros if I succeeded in taking heroine from Nigeria to Germany and I gave it a trial but got caught at the Lagos airport here, by NDLEA officials.
The two suspect who claimed they regretted their involvements in trafficking illicit drugs, however, called on prospective carriers to resist the temptation of engaging in it, advising that hardtime doesn’t last forever.
“I am regretting getting myself in this. I thought it would solve my problems but has added to it. I am now in a bigger problem. I would advise anyone contacted to carry illicit drug to resist the temptation because it will land them to bigger trouble,”Adindu said.
Speaking on the arrests, the Commander, NDLEA MMIA Command, Muhammed Garba said the suspects were arrested at different time in the airport.
He said Alhaja Sulaimon who was arrested on October 26, 2019 at the screening point 1 of MMIA during outward clearance of passengers at the screening point was to board a Virgin Atlantic flight to London.
He explained that after she was giving a brief interview and profiling, she was referred to a body scan and the result proved positive for ingestion of suspected hard drug and she was immediately placed on excretion observation at the Joint Border Task Force JBTF office. On October 27, 2019 at about 0800hours the suspect developed some complications and vomited two wraps of suspected substances resulting from irritation and stomach discomfort.
Garba recalled that the suspect had some cough intermittently before the vomit. He added that the suspect fainted in the process and was promptly rushed to Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH) where she was examined by by a team of medical specialist and the ultra sound scan was performed and CT scan recommended ; and was promptly carried out on her.
Garba said the suspect was returned to custody after she was certified stabled by medical experts. Sulaimon who confessed that she swallowed 60 wraps of hard drug has so far excreted 28 wraps.
The NDLEA boss said, “field test carried out on a sample of the excreted substance proved positive to cocaine.”
Like Sulaimon, Adindu was referred for body scan after a brief interview and profiling and the result proved that he ingested substances suspected to be hard drug.
He was consequently placed on excretion observation which resulted in his excreting 37 wraps of suspected hard drug, one of which was almost unwrapped.
For that, Garba said the suspect was referred to LASUTH for prompt medical attention and was later returned to custody after medications had been administered on him in the hospital.
He said Adindu has since excreted a total of 93 wraps of suspected hard drug which tested positive to heroine.
He said investigations so far revealed that the suspect has got some associates and measures are at advanced stage to bring to bring to book other possible associates that are linked to the cases.
