Drug suspect. My pastor prayed for me before the trip.

By Oghenedoro Onofurho

A suspected drug trafficker arrested at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport (MMIA), Ikeja, Lagos, has explained how his pastor prayed for him before embarking on the trip during which he was arrested with his ‘wares.’

The 26-year-old suspect was on his way to Malaysia before the officers of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) nabbed him.

The suspect, Nzeka Chike Christian, who was arrested for trying to smuggle 1.800kg of methamphetamine worth over N5 million out of the country concealed the drug inside tomato paste.

NDLEA Airport Commander, Hamza Umar said Nzeka, a commercial motorcyclist in Okigwe, Imo State was currently being interrogated.


The two big tin of tomato pastes with 1.8kg of methamphetamine were in Nzeka’s bag containing clothes and foodstuff like yam, rice, beans, garri and spaghetti.

The food items were meant to distract officers from the tomato pastes,’ Hamza stated.

During interogation by reporters, the suspect explained that ‘the man I used to call oga wanted to lodge me in a hotel in Lagos but I told him I prefer to stay in my church.

I was in the church and my pastor prayed for me to have a successful trip, although I did not discuss hard drug with my pastor.

They gave me the drug and foodstuff and promised to pay me $2,500 but unfortunately here I am today’ Nzeka lamented.

Nzeka claimed to be a commercial motorcycle operator based in Okigwe, Imo State, but was recruited into drug deal when he went for financial help from his acclaimed friends who told him that they could only help him if he crossed over to Malaysia.

‘I am a commercial motorcyclist in Okigwe, Imo State. I am not aware that drug offenders are subjected to capital punishment in Malaysia.

I called my friend in Malaysia to assist me with capital to start business. He told me that he was going to make arrangement for me to join him in Malaysia and that was how it all started.

He gave my number to his friend in Lagos who invited me and prepared my travel documents,’ the suspect explained to the anti-narcotic agents at MMIA.

It was learnt that the drug was industrially packed in two luggage containing big tomato containers with clothes and foodstuff but was detected during the outward screening of an Egypt Air flight.

The claim of the suspect to be a commercial motorcycle operator was however discovered to be a lie according to NDLEA’s investigation.

Chairman of the agency, Ahmadu Giade, said that the suspect’s mode of drug concealment was a pointer to the fact that he was not a new person in the deal and that it was the result of the red alert declared on the Malaysia-Nigeria routes at the nation’s airports that exposed him.

He expressed his concern over the fact that the suspect was going to Malaysia where drug offence attract death penalty.

‘This is an interesting seizure because it is not a commonplace concealment. The ingenuity of the mode of drug concealment is a reflection of the sophistry of the drug trafficking crime.

I am glad that the arrest had prevented the execution of the suspect if he was caught in Malaysia,’ Giade stated.

But the suspect claimed ignorance of the death penalty over drug offence in Malaysia.

He maintained that his friends in that country masterminded his involvement in drug deal.

‘I am not aware that drug offenders are subjected to capital punishment in Malaysia,’ Nzeka snapped.