By Ifeanyi Okolie

A Saheed Obani, strolled pass Immigration and anti-narcotics officers at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos unscathed, the 36-year-old man did not realize that his hope of earning 3000 British Pounds on delivery of over 800 grammes cocaine successfully in London, will hit the rocks.

The neatly-concealed drugs, which was secretly tucked inside the metal handle of one of his luggages, was detected by officials of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) during the outward screening of passengers on an Arik flight to London.

L-R Obani, Sunday and Hassan

Obani who was picked out of a group of travelers was whisked away and immediately placed under interrogation at the Airport command’s investigation room. He promptly confessed to the crime, and spontaneously named his cohorts, who were hovering around the airport preemies. And they were subsequently arrested.

A source at the command told Crime Alert that the activities of both Obani and other arrested suspects aroused suspicion as son as they arrived the Airport and security operatives started trailing them. The source also disclosed that the suspects and Obani traveled to London in June 2010.

He gave the names of the other two suspects as; Kehinde Akinsola Hassan, 42 and Umeh Ogbuefi Sunday adding that the suspects had given useful information to narcotics investigators.

“Obani Saheed was arrested based on suspicion by the searching officers at the luggage desk. Our preliminary check on him shows that he last traveled to London in June 2010. Meanwhile, all the suspects have given useful information and we are on top of the situation”, the source added.

Obani Saheed who works as a caterer at Obalende area of Lagos is married to two wives and has three children. He hails from Epe, Lagos State. He admitted collecting part payment of 1,000 pounds and was to get his complete payment upon delivery of the drug in London.

In his words, “I am a caterer. It was greed that pushed me into drug trafficking. I now understand that it does not pay to get involved in crime”.

Kehinde Akinsola Hassan, a printer lives in his home town Abeokuta, Ogun State. He ingested 80 wraps of cocaine weighing 1.295kg and was to board a Virgin Atlantic flight to London when he was intercepted. He, however, attributed his involvement in drug trafficking to financial hardship.

Umeh Ogbuefi Sunday the only suspect heading to Washington in the United States ingested 90 wraps of heroin weighing 1.310kg. He is married with four children and resides at Ajangbadi area of Lagos. Umeh who hails from Anambra state said that he has no helper and decided to smuggle drugs to make ends meet.

Chairman of the NDLEA Ahmadu Giade who warned that the activities of drug traffickers shall be checked also ordered a full scale investigation of the cases. “Drug barons must understand that we are prepared to nip their evil plans in the bud. This is a clear warning that they will continue to be arrested and prosecuted. The cases are currently under investigation” Giade stated.