The National Drug
Law Enforcement Agency on Wednesday stormed and occupied the Lagos house of
Chika Egwu Udensi, a crew member of the Arik Air flight W3101, who was arrested
with 20 kilogrammes of cocaine at the London Heathrow Airport.
The NDLEA moved
to the house after they had interrogated pilots and flight attendants of the
flight that left the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos for London
on Monday night. The interrogation lasted for several hours at the NDLEA head
office in Lagos.
It was gathered
that soon after the interrogation, the NDLEA moved to the suspect’s house in
the Ejigbo area of Lagos State.
A source, who did
not say if there were occupants in the house, told one of our correspondents
that the NDLEA men were “currently occupying the house, and we will not leave
here until we get all the evidence that we want.”
It was gathered
that although the operatives had seized the suspect’s Range Rover, the NDLEA
was still of the opinion that Udensi had other property.
The source said,
‘We are investigating if he has other property in Lagos or elsewhere. Some of
them (suspected drug courier) live simple lives, but have other valuables
stashed everywhere. We are searching for incriminating documents.”
On the
interrogation, the NDLEA in a statement said the entire crew members including
some support staff that worked on the flight before it departed Lagos appeared
before narcotic investigators at the Ikoyi headquarters of the agency.
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They include two
pilots and members of the cabin crew comprising an Australian and a South
African.
The statement by
the NDLEA spokesperson, Mr. Mitchell Ofoyeju, read in part, “The invitation
which was made by the agency was swiftly complied with by the management of
Arik Air.
“The crew members
were conveyed to the NDLEA office in an official bus belonging to Arik Air.
This is part of ongoing investigation to determine their level of involvement
in the smuggling of 20 kg of cocaine found with Chika Egwu Udensi, a member of
the cabin crew in London.
“The latest Range
Rover car belonging to the prime suspect parked on the airline’s premises had
also been moved to the NDLEA office as exhibit.”
Ofoyeju also
confirmed to one of our correspondents that the operatives went to the
attendant’s house, adding, “Wait till tomorrow (Thursday). We will make a
comprehensive statement on it.”
Meanwhile, the
Chairman/ Chief Executive Officer, NDLEA, Mr. Ahmadu Giade, was said to have
promised to carry out an elaborate investigation into the ongoing case,
stressing that all persons involved would be exposed and prosecuted.
“The agency has
made remarkable progress in it counter-narcotic efforts and will resist any act
capable of reversing the gains so far recorded,” he said.
However, findings
by our correspondent revealed that the NDLEA and other aviation security
officials were seriously grilling an Arik staff member working in the catering
department who is believed to have assisted the suspect.
Security
officials, it was learnt, believed that the suspect was assisted by some staff
members of Arik catering department to move the 20 kilogrammes of cocaine into
the aircraft.
One of the top
security officials, who spoke to our correspondent under the condition of
anonymity, said, “Security officials believe strongly that the 20kgs of cocaine
might have been moved into the aircraft through the Arik’s catering department.
There is a prime suspect in that department that is being interrogated
specially.
“Normally, staff
members of the catering department carrying foods from the airline office to
the aircraft are not usually screened. Officials believe the bags containing
the 20kgs of cocaine may have been taken through this route.”
“The reason for
this is that there is a machine that searches the cabin crew members at the
airline’s office before they go to the airport terminal to board the plane. So
if the suspect carried it himself, he may have been caught. A major suspect in
the catering department is going through series of interrogation.”