A man who was arrested for smuggling drugs into Nigeria says that is the source of his money to take care of his family.
A suspected drug smuggler, Ismaila Aliyu, 26, has told the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) that he takes care of his children and two wives with money realised from sales of Indian hemp.
Aliyu, a transporter, told investigators that selling hemp was the only business he could do to take care of his family. The suspect said that he used to import the illicit drug from Ghana. According to him, the particular consignment which led to his arrest was meant for end of year sales.
He added: “Most dealers now prefer imported cannabis from Ghana. This consignment was targeted at the end of year sales. As a transporter, I make more money from cannabis importation.
The cannabis would have been distributed to dealers in Lagos if not that we were arrested. I have two wives and four children. I take care of them from the money I make from cannabis sales.” Aliyu was arrested along with Edwin Igbokwe, 39, a labourer at Badagry jetty.
The suspects were transferred to NDLEA by the Assistant Inspector General of Police in charge of Zone 2 Command, Lagos, Bala Hassan.
The suspects were arrested with 863 compressed parcels of dried weeds that tested positive for cannabis weighing 781.5kgs.
The weeds were being smuggled from Ghana through the sea to Badagry.
The suspects were received from the police by the Seme command of the agency on behalf of the NDLEA. Receiving the suspects and exhibits, the NDLEA Commander at Seme Border Command, Mr Udotong Essien, pledged to carry out further investigation on the arrest. Udotong confirmed receiving the suspects and exhibits.
According to him, he collected other items like one Speed Boat Yamaha engine, three Honda motorcycles and N480,000 believed to be proceeds of drug business. Igbokwe explained that his role as a labourer was to carry the drugs from the boat to a vehicle that would convey them from the riverside to town.
