One of the saddest people among the 20 drug traffickers arrested by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), was Igbinigie Tina, a mother of two.

Tina claimed she would not have gone into drug trafficking, if customers who bought shoes and bags from her had paid up.

As soon as Tina was nabbed at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport,Lagos, for ingesting 89 wraps of cocaine, she knew the game was up. Tears filled her eyes as she realised that she might not see her two kids in a very long time if she was found guilty in the court of law and sentenced. She was especially pained because most of her struggle in life had been because of her children.

Tina was to board Alitalia flight to Italy, when she was nabbed. She hails from Benin City, Edo State, but had been living in Italy for over 18 years. She claimed to have lost her provision shop in Italy due to economic hardship and that when efforts to earn a living failed, she resorted to drug trafficking.

Narcotic agents are however not sympathising with the 41-year-old woman, for they believed she was lying in claiming financial hardship as her reason for going into drug. The Nigerian Compass learned that they would have bought her story if she had been a single mother, but it had been discovered that Tina has a husband in Italy.

She said: “I supplied bags and shoes to many people in Benin and they are yet to pay me. While trying to recover my money, I met a lady who told me that it was difficult to make profit from bags and shoes and that I should do the main business where my money will be promptly paid. That was how I was lured into drug trade. I actually needed money, but I now realised that I made a mistake. It’s the devil’s handiwork. My only regrets now are my children and husband in Italy. I am missing my family.”

Ukaegbu Sunday Urum is a trader based in Togo for over eight years. He ingested 87 wraps of narcotics and was arrested during the screening of Alitalia flight passengers. The Abia State trader, who is married and has a child, said that he used to buy clothes in Togo and to sell to his customers in Aba, Nigeria. He claimed to have lost his capital to fraudsters last January and found it difficult to recover from the financial loss. Urum also said that it was frustration that made him turn to trafficking in drugs.

He said: “After I lost my capital to fraudsters, I was frustrated. That is the genesis of my problem. In the process, I met a man in Togo, who convinced me to try drug trafficking. He collected my telephone number and asked me to go to Lagos and wait for further directive. When I got to Lagos, I got a call requesting me to go to Mile 2 and from there I was taken to a hotel where I swallowed the drugs. When I tested positive to drug ingestion, I was confused because all my dreams of starting my business again was dashed.”

Emeka Charles Ehirim is an automobile technician in Cartagena, Spain, for 10 years. He swallowed 77 wraps of narcotics and was to board KLM flight when NDLEA officials arrested him. Ehirim, who hails from Imo State, would have received 4,000 Euros. He said that he was introduced to drugs by a man he met at a night club in Spain.

“I am not happy, I feel very sad because of what I am going through in life. A man I met at a night club in Spain gave me the link to smuggle drugs. I agreed to do it because life in Europe is not what it used to be because there are no more job opportunities. My intention was to return to Nigeria and start a business with the 4,000 Euros they promised to pay me,” said Ehirim.

Ndinojuo Ozioma Jerome, a trader in Lagos, ingested 95 wraps, which he would have delivered in Italy for 3,000 Euros. The 50-year-old father of seven, said that the forces of life were against him.

His words:“I lost all my goods when Oshodi market was destroyed. That was how my problem began. I then went to Cele area of Lagos to start my business, but my shop was again demolished. I could not withstand the pains, so I left Lagos to the village with my family because I just could not cope with the cost of living in Lagos. Back home in Orlu, Imo State, I met a man in a bar who introduced me to drugs. I swallowed the drugs in Imo but unfortunately, I was caught.”

The last suspect, Okpala Malcolm Sunday, a factory worker in Italy, was nabbed during screening of Alitalia passengers. He claimed to have ingested 75 wraps of drugs at Enugu and took flight from Owerri airport. He had lived in Italy for over seven years.

Okpala said: “I have been jobless in Europe and trying to make ends meet. It has been very difficult. I only wanted to make ends meet when I was caught.”

Last month the agency apprehended a total of 20 suspected drug traffickers with a seizure of 28.130kg of narcotics.

Eighteen of the suspects are males, while two are females. Cocaine constitutes the bulk of the seized drugs with 25.185kg; cannabis is next with 1.500kg and heroin 1.445kg.

The only heroin seizure in the month under review was ingested by a professional lawn tennis player, Dairo Toyin. The last five suspects caught in July, ingested 423 wraps of substances that tested positive to cocaine.

NDLEA Airport Commander, Alhaji Hamza Umar gave their names as Tina, Urum, 34, ingested 87 wraps weighing 1.525kg, Ehirim,38, ingested 77 wraps, weighing 1.420kg, Udenojuo Ozioma Jerome, 50, ingested 95 wraps, weighing 1.660kg and Okpala Malcolm Sunday, 49, ingested 75 wraps weighing 1.380kg.

Chairman of NDLEA, Ahmadu Giade, called for more public support to address the drug problem.

His words: “I urge members of the public to partner with the Agency by reporting suspected drug traffickers in their neighbourhood and also seek help for their loved ones with drug abuse problem. On our part, we shall continue to sensitise the public on the need to live a drug free lifestyle. However, we won’t hesitate to intercept drugs and prosecute offenders in accordance with the law.”

By Blessing Obihan



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