The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has intercepted 9.30 kilograms of cociane worth over N2.7 billion at Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport (NAIA) Abuja.

The NDLEA spokesperson, Mr Femi Babafemi, in a statement on Thursday in Abuja, said a 32-year-old drug trafficker based in Liberia, Maduabuchi Chinedu, was arrested with the consignment.

Babafemi said the suspect who hailed from Obaha Okigwe village, Okigwe Local Government Area of Imo state, lived in Liberia where he worked as a miner.

He said the suspect was arrested during an inward joint search of Ethiopian Airlines flight 911 at the Abuja airport on Nov. 24.

“During his preliminary interview, Chinedu claimed he left Nigeria in 2018 to settle in Liberia where he now has a residence permit. He however added that economic pressure and the need to raise money to treat his mother for an eye problem led him to seek help from a friend in Liberia who introduced him to another friend based in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia who eventually gave him the drug to deliver in Abuja for a fee of N1million. He added that he was initially scheduled to deliver the drug to Ivory Coast but was rerouted to Nigeria at the last minute.

“While commending the officers and men of the NAIA Command of the Agency for their vigilance and working in synergy with other security agencies at the airport, Chairman/Chief Executive of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Retd) charged them and their colleagues in other commands to always remain two steps ahead of merchants of death who are daily getting more desperate to make money at the expense of the image of the country and Nigerians’ wellbeing”, the statement reads.