LAGOS SEPTEMBER 30TH (URHOBOTODAY)-A clearing and forwarding agent, Mr. Wisdom Adibe who was arrested by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA)for ingesting 1.417kg of cocaine during outward screening of passengers on an Ethiopian airline flight to China at Akanu Ibiam International Airport (AIIA) Enugu, attributed his involvement in drug trafficking to high exchange rate and economic recession
During interrogation, Adibe who is a father of five children said he accepted five thousand dollars to smuggle cocaine to China.
“I am a clearing and forwarding agent but financial hardship and bad economy forced me into drug trafficking. The exchange rate is very high and I hardly get money to take care of my family. My sponsor promised to pay me the sum of five thousand dollars to take the drug to China. In the process of boarding the aircraft, I was arrested by NDLEA officers,” Adibe who hailed from Imo State disclosed.

In the same day and at the same airport NDLEA foiled plot by a suspected drug trafficker, Esonwunne Onyechi Benson to use innocent passenger in smuggling cannabis neatly concealed in noodles to China. While waiting for an unsuspected passenger whom he would hand over the illegal parcel to for onward transmission to Chine he was arrested by the anti-narcotic drug agents.
Meanwhile, preliminary investigation revealed that Esonwunne was twice deported from China in 2008 and May 2016 on immigration related offences.
Esonwunne Onyechi Benson who equally blame his action on economic recession said, “I am a trader but due to the economic downturn I decided to smuggle cannabis to China. I concealed the drug neatly in packs of noodles because cannabis is expensive there. I was waiting for a passenger that will assist me in sending the bag of cannabis to China when NDLEA officers arrested me.”
The Chairman/Chief Executive of the Agency, Muhammad Mustapha Abdallah called on members of the public particularly passengers not to collect consignment from people. “This is a plot by suspected drug traffickers to use innocent passengers in smuggling drugs. Some persons may have fallen into this wicked plot if not for the timely intervention of the Agency. It is instructive that people be aware of this trick because what they consider as an assistance may just send them to prison or early graves. This is because drug trafficking is punishable by death in China” Abdallah stated.
Abdallah added that passengers must exercise caution in accepting bags from people. “To an average passenger, the suspected bag contained noodles but during search operations, the packs of noodles turned out to be cannabis. In the past, we have recovered drugs hidden inside books, parcels and even letters. It is important therefore that members of the public must act with utmost caution and avoid acts that could turn them into drug traffickers.”