By Albert Akpor
You lie —NDLEA
IF the confession of Macaulay Oguke,  a drug suspect arrested recently at the departure hall of the Murtala Mohammed international  Ikeja, Lagos is anything to go by, then there is definitely a new introduction into the illicit drug deals in the country.

To have a corked gun pointed at one’s head could in itself evoke a post traumatic stress disorder on the victim ; let alone being forced to swallow wraps of hard drugs against one’s wish in addition.   Oguke, a 53 year-old Imo state born trader told bewildered anti-drugs agency officials upon his arrest that he  ingested an astonishing 65 wraps of heroin at gun point.  Pathetic and convincing as his confession may sound, NDLEA operatives said only investigation could prove his claims insisting that the law is blind to sentiments.

Oguke Maculay... I was force at gun point.

Suspect Oguke who claimed that he sells motorcycle parts and ladies weave-on was picked up by narcotic officers while trying to board a flight to Monrovia, the Liberian capital.  He said he was yet to come to term with his involvement in illicit drug business maintaining that he had been on the crusade against hard drugs in the country.

“That I am here for drug offence is a mystery to me.  It is a very painful experience because I am one person that has been on the vanguard against  drug trafficking in the country.   I preach to people not to get involved in drug business. he lamented”

Speaking on the probable reason why he consented ingesting the stuff even against his wish, Macaulay amid tears muffled;    “ like I said, I am business man at a time things started going bad for me and I had to borrow some money from Liberian businessman friend.

But the moment business started picking up, I paid part of the debt and as I speak now,  it remains $1,000. When he learnt that I was in Nigeria, he called me that his brother would give me a parcel to be delivered to him in Liberia. The day I was to leave my village in Imo State, I got a call from a man who claimed to be his brother.

That was how we began talking until I got to Lagos.  I am a businessman in Liberia. I sell motorcycle parts and ladies weave_on. My pregnant wife and child live in Nigeria. Though I visit home regularly, my purpose of coming this time was for the funeral rites of my father.”

How he ingested the drugs

“That man who claimed to be brother to my creditor kept calling me and directed that I should meet him at Mile 2 where I was supposed to collect the parcel.  He located and took me to the back of a big building. I got the greatest shock when he brought out the drugs and a plate of soup and pulled out a gun and ordered me to swallow the drugs.

He threatened to kill me if I should shout. That was how I began swallowing the drugs. In the process I began to vomit. When he noticed I could no longer swallow, he counted the remaining wraps and said I had taken 65 wraps.

He told me not to ask any question that when I get to Liberia, his brother would collect the drug and settle me accordingly. He then took me to the airport. I am totally disorganised because I am the pillar of my family.”

NDLEA reacts

Reports say Preliminary findings  by officials  of  the anti-drug agency showed  that the drug suspect cooked up the story of forceful ingestion of the drugs adding that he was all along party to the deal others as an adult he would have raised alarm and or alerted officials of NDLEA.

In fact the chairman of the agency Alhaji Ahmadu Giade was saying as describing claims by Macaulay as laughable.  The drug czar was reported to had said at 53, the suspect could not claim he was forced into what he did want to go into; let alone swallowing wraps of hard drugs

“There may be some understanding between the suspect and his sponsors if truly he was asked to ingest the drugs under duress. As investigators, we are definitely going to unravel the motive behind the criminal act.

This is an interesting case and we shall get to the bottom of it and let the court determine the true position.  But our preliminary investigation has shown that Oguke has a strong link with his sponsors from the word go.

He cannot claim ignorance of the deal otherwise,  he would have alerted the NDLEA or any security agency at the airport to that effect.   Ordinarily, if the suspect had reported the incident to drug law enforcement officials, he would have been treated as a victim and allowed to go after he must have excreted the drugs.

That is the position of the law, but by keeping silent and proceeding on the trip, knowing that he had drugs on him showed he has a case to answer.”