Marriage funds pushed me into smuggling, says suspect

A suspected drug trafficker arrested by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency has said he was forced into smuggling in order to raise funds for his marriage.

The NDLEA men had arrested the suspect, Chidi Ezimoa, and three others ? Ibrahim Elemosho, Chukwu Chigozie and Mbachu Ifeanyi ? at the Muritala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, while they were disembarking from a flight en route from Brazil.

Thirty-two-year-old Ezimoa, who hails from Anambra, said he was promised N500,000 to smuggle cocaine from Brazil, adding that he had planned to use the money for his wedding.

“I am single and sell auto parts. I had wanted to marry with the N500,000 they promised me,” he said.

Elemosho, 32, regretted to have engaged in the crime. The trader stated that the fee attached to the act lured him.

He said, “I am married with two children. I used to buy female clothes, bags and shoes from Dubai. It was in Dubai I met a Nigerian who persuaded me to smuggle cocaine to Nigeria. I accepted because they offered to pay me a million naira.”

In his statement, Abia-born Chigozie, said he had wanted to use the proceeds from the smuggling to expand his business.

He said, “I am an auto dealer. I wanted to expand my business, so I decided to smuggle the drug. I would have made $3,000 (N569,000) had the mission succeeded.”

Forty-two-year old Ifeanyi said he had the intention to rent another shop to continue his eatery venture in Brazil after the operation.

The NDLEA spokesperson, Mr. Mitchel Ofoyeju, said a total of 3.455 kilogrammes of substance that tested positive for cocaine was recovered from the four suspects.

“The four suspects were nabbed at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport Lagos for Illegal importation of 3.455kg of cocaine from Brazil,” he said.

The agency’s chairman, Mr. Ahmadu Giade, said NDLEA would intensify its efforts to stop the importation of narcotics into the country.