Operatives of the National Drug Law
Enforcement Agency have recovered
19.8 kilogrammes of dried weeds, said
to be cannabis sativa, from two friends;
30-year-old Sandra Ebere and Maureen
Obidike, 33.
Punch Metro gathered that the suspects
were arrested at the Murtala
Muhammed International Airport,
Lagos State during the screening of
passengers on an Etihad flight en route
to Dubai, United Arab Emirate.
It was learnt that the drug was
packaged into about 80 parcels and
concealed inside foodstuffs and
bottles.Our correspondent gathered that
Ebere, who studied Economics, told
investigators that her travel agent in
Dubai directed her to smuggle the drug
as a prerequisite for a free visa.
She said,
“I used to export foodstuffs to
Dubai since 2012. Each time I go to
Dubai, I stay for two months and
come back because I have no
permanent visa. I came to Nigeria
since December 2014 to spend the
Christmas and New Year holidays
at home. While I was preparing to
go back, my travel agent in Dubai
called me that somebody will give
me a parcel to bring to him. He
promised me that if I could bring it
to him he will prepare my next visa
for free. That was how I agreed to
take it.”
Obidike, in her statement, described
her arrest as the backlash of keeping a
deceitful friend.
“My friend did not tell me that she
had drugs in the luggage before she
checked in in my name. She told
me that it was foodstuffs, but it
turned out to be cannabis. I feel
very sad,” she said.
The NDLEA Commander at the Lagos
Airport, Mr. Umar Hamza, said the case
was under investigation.
He said,
“We found 78 parcels of dried
weeds that tested positive for
cannabis sativa weighing 19.8kg
inside foodstuffs and bottles of
local alcoholic beverage. The case is
under investigation and the
suspects are assisting our team of
investigators.”
The agency’s Chairman, Mr. Ahmadu
Giade, called on travellers to be sure of
the content of their luggage before
travelling.
“Members of the public must take
necessary preventive measures to
ensure that they have no drugs in
their luggage. They must also not
collect luggage from people when
travelling. This is very important
because such luggage may contain
drugs,” Giade said.
