NDLEA Arrest Brazilian Returnee With N3.8m Worth Of Cocaine Hidden In Foot Wears

A 34-year-old motorcycle parts dealer has been arrested by anti-narcotics agents with 9.150kg of cocaine, which were concealed in the soles of foot wears being imported into the country. 

The arrest of the Enugu State-born suspect, identified as Okolo Emenike, was made, weekend, during the inward screening of passengers on a Turkish airline flight from Brazil, at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja. 

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency Commander at the Abuja Airport, Hamisu Lawan, explained that the discovery of the drugs, with an estimated value of 3.8 million pounds, which is close to half a billion Naira, was the last arrest made in year 2016.

During interrogation, Emenike, a father of one, disclosed that he was offered N1 million to smuggle the drugs into Nigeria. He explained that he was forced to leave the shores of Nigeria for Brazil in search of greener pastures, when his business was experiencing a down turn, owing to recession. 

However, on reaching Brazil, Emenike said, “things became worse for me as I could not get a job. I had no money to sustain myself while my work permit was being processed. “I was equally confronted with the fear of deportation. This made me desperate for quick wealth. 

In the process, I met my childhood friend, who offered me N1million to traffic cocaine to Nigeria. “He also paid for my ticket and gave me three bags of shoes containing the cocaine. But on arrival at the Abuja airport, the cocaine was detected and I was arrested.


 I had wanted to invest money offered to me in my business that failed due to recession.” 

 Chairman/Chief Executive of the NDLEA, Col. Muhammad Mustapha Abdallah (retd.) who commended his men for the arrest, stated that the huge profit derived from drug trafficking had made it a top priority for drug cartels to be financially incapacitated.