Nigerian journalist arrested for drug trafficking

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) says it has arrested and currently interrogating a 48-year old Brazil-based Nigerian journalist, Mr Anagbogu Churchill Okwudili, a patent medicine dealer, Enenchi Jerome Oguejiefor, 36, a 25-year-old spinster, Miss Gabriel Chidimma Juliet and three others for drug trafficking.

The six suspects were said to have been apprehended at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) by operatives of the NDLEA with 13.410kg of substances that tested positive for narcotics.

While the journalist, Okwudili ingested 47 wraps of cocaine weighing 940 grammes, Juliet and Oguejiefor were caught with 2.900kg of cocaine in duty free bag and 5.500kg of cannabis concealed inside fufu respectively.

NDLEA commander at the Lagos airport, Ahmadu Garba gave the names of the other three suspects as Ani Kennedy Tochukwu, 32, who packed 21 wraps of cocaine weighing 350 grammes inside jeans trousers; Eletamuzor Celestine Kenechukwu, 28, caught with a kilogramme of ephedrine inside hair attachment and Okpala Vitus Arinzechukwu, 35, caught with 2.720kg of cocaine.

Apart from Kenechukwu and Oguejiefor that attempted to export ephedrine and cannabis to South Africa and Dubai others were apprehended smuggling drugs into the country.

The anti-narcotic agency said the suspects attributed their involvement to the financial rewards offered them, adding that it had commenced investigation into the cases.

The only female suspect, Juliet who resides in Abuja reportedly told narcotic investigators during interrogation that she was given the drug by her boyfriend in the United Arab Emirates.

She said, “Since I left secondary school in 2010, I have been trading to sustain myself. I buy goods in Dubai and sell in Abuja. It is unfortunate this time around that cocaine was found in the bag my boyfriend gave to me in Dubai.” Juliet hails from Imo State.

Okwudili, an indigene of Anambra State, who is a freelance journalist, claimed he graduated from the London School of Journalism and that he was frustrated into dealing in drugs.