Nigerian drug kingpin offered $24,500 bribe to evade arrest at Lagos airport

• He was arrested at the Lagos airport by operatives of the Nigeria Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA

• He failed to compromise NDLEA officials with a bribe of $24,500

A Brazil-based Nigerian drug kingpin, Ejiofor Felix Enwereaku was arrested by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA at the Muritala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) Ikeja, Lagos on Friday, May 14, 2021.

Along with his arrest, the state agency intercepted 36 blocks of cocaine, weighing 27.95 kilograms with a street value of over N8 billion.

Mr. Enwereaku was alleged to lead a syndicate that imported 27.95kg of cocaine using their organized criminal gang, which specializes in tagging/planting drugs in innocent travelers’ luggage.

Based on intelligence, narcotic agents at the MMIA had on May 8, 2021, intercepted a bag that arrived at the Lagos airport from GRU, Brazil via Addis Ababa, Ethiopia on the Ethiopian Airline with baggage tag No- ET331199 but was disclaimed by an arriving passenger on the flight, Vanguard.ng reports.

The disclaimed bag was promptly secured by NDLEA operatives for investigation.

On May 9, 2021, a man came to the airport to inquire on how to get the disclaimed bag released. He was promptly arrested for investigation.

The disclaimed bag was opened in the presence of the arriving passenger and the man, who came to negotiate the release of the disputed bag. When it was opened, it was found that the bag contained 36 blocks of cocaine, weighing 27.95kg, according to Vanguard.ng.

A follow-up sting operation was carried out, which led to the arrest of Ejiofor Felix Enwereaku, the prime suspect, on May 14 upon his arrival from Addis Ababa on board Ethiopian Airline.

During preliminary interrogation after his arrest, he confessed to having been contracted by his Ethiopian associate, who is a notorious drug baron, to claim and push out the consignment in Lagos, Nigeria.

He further admitted to having paid a $24,500 bribe in three tranches to compromise NDLEA officers.

The first was $10,000 delivered through his representative in Lagos and another $10, 000 via his FirstBank account while the third tranche of $4,500 was paid at the point of his arrest.

His group is suspected to be responsible for recruiting traffickers to move illicit drugs to various destinations using Nigeria as their transit location and also planting drugs in the luggage of innocent travelers.

Impressed by the outcome of the intelligence-led operational strategies that took weeks of painstaking efforts and closely monitored by him, Chairman/Chief Executive of NDLEA, Brig. General Mohamed Marwa (retd) commended the Commander, MMIA Command of the agency, Ahmadu Garba, his officers and men for their diligence and resilience in following up every lead in the case until the kingpin was successfully entrapped and arrested.