However, upon closer inspection, they were found to be carrying a shocking 184 wraps of cocaine weighing 3.322Kg. An additional 100 grams of the substance were concealed in the woman’s private area. This daring operation was exposed when the duo was intercepted at Screening Point 1, Terminal 1 of the international wing at Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos on Tuesday, August 1, 2023. Their intended destination was an Ethiopian airline flight to India.
According to Femi Babafemi, the spokesperson for NDLEA, the alleged couple’s travel documents showed consistent names, portraying them as a legitimate pair. However, their ruse was discovered when an NDLEA officer subjected them to a body scan, revealing that both suspects had ingested drugs. Subsequently, they were placed under observation for excretion at the agency’s facility.
Despite their efforts to present themselves as a couple, a preliminary investigation uncovered that the individuals were not truly related. They had utilized identical surnames to bypass airport security checks. The woman, identified later as Nkechi Ngogbike, ultimately confessed her true identity. Interestingly, Onyebuchi Ilonzeh, who also goes by Ikenna Uwaezuoke, was discovered to be a repeat drug suspect currently out on bail.
Notably, Uwaezuoke had previously been arrested at Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja on March 19, 2022, after ingesting 100 wraps of cocaine. His initial travel documents featured a fake identity, but he was identified and arrested once again at Lagos Airport on August 1.
During the investigation, it was revealed that Ngogbike Nkechi, or Nonyelum Ilonzeh, confessed to being recruited through her church in Aba, Abia State, where she resides.
Meanwhile, NDLEA operatives, stationed with courier companies in Lagos, intercepted various quantities of illegal substances such as dextromethorphan mixed with heroin, methamphetamine, dimethyl sulfone, and cannabis, all concealed in different objects destined for Europe.