Thirty-seven-year-old Okoye Nnamdi, a suspected drug trafficker apprehended with cannabis by operatives of National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, says he feels no remorse for engaging in the crime.It was learnt that Nnamdi was arrested along with five other suspects found with cocaine and methamphetamine at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos.
Their names were given as Gladys Nwakolo, Made Okey, Nicholas Ogochukwu, Nnodebe Anthony and Nwodo Chidiebere.
Nnamdi said he took to drug trafficking to better his lot after two years of unproductive menial job in Doha, Qatar.
He said, “I was frustrated. When you are frustrated, you can do anything. I took a risk, but I was not lucky. Life is about taking risk. It is either you win or you lose. I have worked and suffered as a labourer in Doha for two years and I was desperate to change my status. I don’t regret my action.”
Okey, 54, a businessman, said he was a novice in drug trafficking, adding that he was tricked into the act by his friend.
Thirty-two-year-old Omasi said the quest to make quick money got her into trouble. The mother of three was arrested for attempting to smuggle cocaine to Spain
“I buy and sell clothes. I lived in Spain for about a decade. I came back to Nigeria because of financial hardship. I loved to go back to Spain and I did not have enough money. This was how I found myself in drug trafficking.”
Ogochukwu, 31, said life had been hard for him since his father died when he was five. He said he accepted the offer to smuggle cocaine into Nigeria on an agreed fee of N1m.
Chidiebere, 28, said he resorted to drug trafficking after he lost his shop to an inferno.
“I used to sell clothes but I lost my goods in a fire incident. This was what led me into drug trafficking.
“I was given liquid cocaine inside body cream and they promised to pay me N500,000,” he said.
The NDLEA Commander at the MMIA, Mr. Hamza Umar, confirmed the arrest and seizure.
He said, “We arrested six suspected drug traffickers with drugs weighing 16.51 kilogrammes.
The Chairman of the agency, Ahmadu Giade, said drug barons who dared to smuggle drugs would be arrested and prosecuted.
“Our capacity has rapidly increased over the years and anybody who dares to smuggle drugs through the entry points such as airports, sea ports and land borders will regret such actions,” Giade said.
