Ex-Footballer Trafficks Cocaine after Failed Career in Brazil

Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency have arrested an ex-footballer, Okafor Junior, at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos, on his arrival from Sao Paulo, Brazil, via Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on board an Ethiopian airlines flight with 1.40 kilogrammes of crack cocaine.

The 33-year-old indigene of Arochukwu Local Government Area, Abia State, was arrested on Monday, September 26, 2022, after anti-narcotic officers discovered he concealed the illicit substance in the handles of his bags and padded the top edges of the bags.

In a statement on Sunday, the anti-graft agency’s spokesperson, Femi Babafemi, noted that during a preliminary interview, Okafor disclosed that he was an ex-footballer with the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital, Enugu FC, where he played for four seasons before leaving for Sri Lanka in 2014.

“He further stated that he moved to Brazil from Sri Lanka after playing for two seasons but could not advance his football career in Brazil due to lack of official documents.

“Another Brazilian returnee, Ibeh Chinedu, was arrested same day upon his arrival at the Lagos airport from Sao Paulo, Brazil, via an Ethiopian airlines flight. Ibeh, who hails from Ahiazu, Mbaise Local Government Area of Imo State, was found to have concealed 3.20kg black cocaine popularly known as ‘Lucci’ in false bottoms of his two bags. In his statement, he said he was to be paid N3,100,000 on successful delivery of the drug in Nigeria.” Babafemi said.

The statement added that an attempt by a 32-year-old businesswoman, Mrs Pamela Odin, to traffic 2.150kg tablets of rohypnol through the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja to Istanbul, Turkey, was thwarted by NDLEA operatives.

The mother of one was arrested on Friday, September 23, while attempting to board a Turkish airline flight with the drug concealed inside pepper and packed among foodstuffs.

The indigene of Afiesere village, Ughelli North LGA, Delta State, reportedly said she operated a restaurant in Istanbul, Turkey, but came to Nigeria to see her relatives and buy food items for her restaurant business.