By ALBERT AKPOR
FOR Messrs Akakpo James Kossi, Nwanchukwu Chukwuma Ferdinard and Okonkwo John Oforma; the unguided ambition to make it ‘big’ at the beginning of year 2012 has landed them in troubled waters as they are presently cooling off at the custody of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency NDLEA  for allegedly being in possession of powdery substances suspected to be cocaine and heroin respectively.

The trio met their Waterloo recently at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport,  Ikeja Lagos for allegedly attempting to import 4kg and 5.1kg of the respective prohibitive drugs into the country.  Sources at the anti-drug agency put the street value of the intercepted drugs that were coming into the country from Brazil and Pakistan at a whopping N100m

*Okonkwo John Oforma with bag containing 5.100kg heroin, Nwanchukwu Ferdinard & Akpakpo Kossi James with the 4kg cocaine

Airport commander of NDLEA Hamza Umar said that the recent crackdown occurred last weekend while preparation for the Christmas celebration was at its peak.

He informed that his men were more than ever poised to give drug couriers the fight of their lives saying,  “Three prime suspects  who gave their names as  Akakpo Kossi James, 49, and Nwanchukwu Chukwuma Ferdinard, 42, who were on board Emirate flight from Brazil as well as Okonkwo John Oforma, 38, who had an emergency travel certificate on his way from Pakistan on board Qatar Airline flight are currently in our custody undergoing interrogation in connection with the drug seizures.

Akakpo smuggled 4kg of cocaine from Brazil in bed sheets and engine pistons, Nwanchukwu Chukwuma Ferdinard ingested 58 wraps of cocaine weighing 700grammes also from Brazil while Okonkwo imported 5.1kg heroin from Pakistan hidden in a luggage. The suspects have made very useful statements that are fast tracking investigation.

Reacting also, Chairman of the agency  Ahmadu Giade described the seizures as another victory in the country’s anti-narcotics crusade.  He said,  “This is another victory in the battle to eliminate illicit drugs from our society. We are poised to tackling drug syndicates notwithstanding their shrewd modes of drug concealment.”

Investigations revealed that Akakpo Kossi James a 49 year old bachelor from Abia state got involved in drug trafficking in order to get married and live a settled life.   He said, “I worked as an event planner in Brazil since 2008. I dropped out of secondary school in class 3. As a result of unemployment I traveled to Senegal in 1999.

When I could not get any good job, I left Senegal to Cape Verde and later to Brazil in 2008. In all these countries, I have been living from hand to mouth. A Brazilian introduced me into the drug business. I used to meet with him at shopping mall and recreational centers. He convinced me into smuggling the drug with a 10,000 dollars offer.

I saw it as an opportunity to marry and settle down.”  The second suspect who also gave his names as Okonkwo John Oforma,  a 38 year old Umeaze, Anambra state born  former fish seller claimed he was working with a Pakistani based drug cell.

The suspect who lives at Surulere Street, Ijaniki, Lagos used to sell dry fish before he was recruited to smuggle drugs from Pakistan.    Okonkwo who traveled to Pakistan on September 14, 2011 through Dubai claimed that he lost his international passport at Islamabad.

He arrive Nigeria a day to Christmas with an emergency travel certificate NHCI 197/2011 and Qatar ticket number 2145050251276.   He reportedly took off from Karachi Airport, Pakistan to Nigeria en route Doha.    According to him, “I am sick and need to undergo surgery.

I have no money for the treatment and they promised to settle all my hospital bills and also give me money for business. The man is so nice to me. They usually import shirts and sometimes I collect some of the clothes to sell and have my commission.

That was how I met them. The man took me as his son and promised to do anything for me. They assisted me with my travel documents and sponsored my trip to Pakistan. When I lost my passport at Islamabad, he was the one that processed the emergency travel certificate for me.

He is an elderly man, I do not know his name but we call him ‘Alhaji’. He gave me the bag to take to Nigeria. Unfortunately, I was arrested and 5.1kg heroin was found in the bag”

But the third suspect who equally gave his names as Nwanchukwu Chukwuma Ferdinard gave a chilling and pathetic tales of why he ventured into the devilish business.  According to him, when he left the shores of this country he never intended going into drug business but the quest for his family gave him into the business.

He would have used part of the money realized from the drug deal to settle his three children’s  school fees and house rent  but that though has now be truncated. The former furniture seller and father of three traveled to Brazil in 2009 while his family reside in Lagos.

Lamenting his ordeal, Ferdinard said,   “I worked  in a Cyber- café in Brazil and my salary can barely meet my basic needs. In the process of complaining to friends,  I met a man who promised to help me only if I will smuggle drugs. Eventually, I agreed to carry the drug.

They bought my return ticket and promised to pay me 2,500 dollars. My intention was to use the opportunity to visit my family and pay school fees of my children but that is not be now.” However pathetic the tales of the couriers may sound, the anti-drug agency said  the suspects would soon appear in court stressing that  their fate can only be decided by the court.