NDLEA nabs trafficker with heroin worth N564m at Abuja Airport

By Tobi Adetunji

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) on Sunday arrested a drug trafficker, Goodluck Igbineweka Odeh, at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport Abuja (NAIA), Abuja, with 2kg of heroin, which has a street value of N564m, concealed in the lining of his suitcase.

The 40-year-old suspect from Ikpoba Okha Local Government Area of Edo State was arrested at the departure lounge of the Abuja airport during an outward clearance of Ethiopian aircraft 911enroute Abuja-Addis Ababa-Italy.

The Spokesman of the agency, Mr. Femi Babafemi, said on Sunday in Abuja that under interrogation, Odeh claimed he has been living in Italy since 2015 when he got into the country through Libya.

The suspect said that he works as a labourer in a farm in Italy with a pay of about 50 Euro a day, and that he also works as a “flyer distributor” when farming season is over and gets as much as 50 Euro a day.

Odeh claimed he came to Nigeria over two weeks ago to see his family and also use same opportunity to buy foodstuffs to sell on his return to Italy.

Curiously, he claimed he did not know how the drug found its way into the bag as he bought the suitcase from a second-hand material open market in Lagos not knowing that it contained the drug.

When asked the address of the market, he added, “I don’t know the address.”

According to the Commander, Abuja Airport Command of NDLEA, Kabir Sani Tsakuwa, charges have already been filed against the suspect while further investigations continue to explore other leads on the case.