Fresh from serving a jail term over drug trafficking in Brazil, a Nigerian, Okechukwu Francis Amaechi has been re-arrested in Nigeria with 24 parcels of cocaine found in his possession concealed in lawn mover tyres.
He was intercepted by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, with 24 parcels of cocaine concealed in 12 tyres of lawn mowers imported into the country through the Port Harcourt International Airport.
The 45-year-old ex-convict from Idemili South LGA, Anambra State was arrested at the Port Harcourt airport on Saturday 7th May upon his arrival from Brazil, via Doha onboard Qatar Airline flight QR1433.
Preliminary investigations revealed Okechukwu who was arrested and convicted in Brazil for drug offences completed serving his jail sentence in March 2022, after which he decided to return to Nigeria with three new lawn mowers where he concealed 24 parcels of cocaine weighing 4.56kg.
Curiously, each parcel concealed in the tyres of the three lawn mowers bears some unique inscriptions, which are believed to be means of identification of the owners of the drug. The two parcels in one of the tyres of the first lawn mower bear “O LORD” and “HAVE MERCY”. The parcels in one of the tyres of the second mower bears the inscription “IN GOD” and “WE TRUST”, while the third mower has “IJIOMA” and “186.6” inscribed on the two parcels hidden in one of its tyres.
Okechukwu claimed one of his church members gave him the lawn mowers to deliver to his brother in Port Harcourt.
In other operations across Zamfara, Kogi, Rivers, Kaduna and Kano state, no fewer than 37, 876 tablets of pharmaceutical opioids especially Tramadol; 10,884 bottles of codeine and 825.016 kilograms of cannabis sativa were recovered during raids in the past week.
NDLEA spokesperson, Femi Babafemi said the Chairman of the Agency,Retired Brg-Gen Buba Marwa has promised “no retreat,no surrender ” in the drug war in Nigeria.
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