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.
