Sophia Michaels
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has apprehended the suspected owner of a shipment of tramadol concealed in a bottle of dietary supplements, which sparked a commotion at the Murtala Muhammed Airport in Ikeja on Tuesday.
NDLEA’s spokesman, Mr. Femi Babafemi, stated on Sunday that the suspect was arrested on Friday.
A viral video had claimed that the suspect being tortured on his knees while being slapped by another on Tuesday was an employee of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, FAAN.
The man was being tortured by a passenger for attempting to use the latter to traffic drugs to Accra, Ghana.
FAAN on Wednesday distanced itself from the man and declared that he was an employee of an aviation services company operating within the airport premises.
It stated that the passenger resorted to slapping the officer whom he had compelled to kneel before him after he had raised an alarm alleging that he was being set up for drug trafficking.
Babafemi stated on Sunday that FAAN transferred the suspect and the exhibit to the NDLEA on Thursday.
“Preliminary findings by NDLEA showed the parcel contained 50 pills of tramadol concealed in a bottle of dietary supplements.
“A follow-up operation by the NDLEA led to the arrest of the suspect upon his return from Ghana on Friday. He has confirmed ownership of the drug,’’ he stated.
He added that two freight agents and a traveller have also escaped being roped into two drug trafficking operations by desperate traffickers at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja.
Babafemi said the two agents were contacted to send a consignment of 1kg Indian hemp concealed in tins of chocolate drink to Turkey and they chose to submit the shipment to NDLEA checks before processing the cargo.
