Italy-based Nigerian excretes 95 pellets of heroin at Abuja Airport

Men of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency have arrested a 36-year-old Nigerian based in Italy, Nwakanma Michael Uche, at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport Abuja for ingesting 95 pellets of heroin.

Uche who hails from, Arodizuogu Village, Ideato Local Government Area of Imo State was nabbed while trying to board Air France Airline en route Abuja-Paris-Milan, Italy on May 15, 2022.

The Director of Media and Advocacy, NDLEA, Mr Femi Babafemi, in a statement on Sunday, said the suspect was thereafter kept under observation during which he excreted 95 pellets of heroin.

Uche claimed he came to see his parents in Nigeria after 12 years in Italy and to complete his father’s traditional marriage rites.

He also said that he was to be paid N1.5m after the successful delivery of the drugs in Milan.

Also, a wanted drug kingpin behind the 2000.6kg Cannabis Sativa seized in a concrete mixer truck in Adamawa State on December 2, 2021, Henry Chukwuneku Okamaru (a.k.a. Lawrence Ik Okamaru), was arrested in Ondo State after five months of a manhunt by NDLEA operatives.

Two suspects, Matthew Donuwe and Friday Nmborgwu were arrested in connection to the consignment last December.

Both had confessed that the concrete mixer truck with Lagos registration number SMK 890 XB was loaded with the illicit drug in Ogbese, Ondo State while they travelled for two months on the road before arriving in Adamawa where they were eventually arrested by NDLEA operatives.

Investigations reveal that Okamaru is one of the leaders of a cannabis cultivation cartel that operates in the Ondo-Ekiti axis, while he shuttles between Osun, Ondo, Ekiti, Edo and Delta states from where he coordinates supplies of illicit consignments to Northern parts of the country and Lagos State.

“The drug lord has also been identified as a member of an international drug trafficking ring, while he shuttles between Nigeria and South Africa where his family is settled.

“He has a strong control and stake in cannabis cultivation in Ondo, Edo, Ekiti, Osun and Oyo states with large storage facilities in Lagos and Abbi in Delta State from where his consignments are distributed year-round,” Babafemi said.