The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos, has arrested a suspected human trafficker, Matthew Bassey, who recruited an orphan, Gift Eno, for drug trafficking.
Bassey, a native of Oron Local Government Area, Akwa Ibom State, was arrested following the interception of Eno at the departure hall of the Lagos airport.
This was contained in a statement signed by the NDLEA Director of Media Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, on Sunday.
The statement partly read, “Bassey, 29, was arrested on Wednesday, July 6, following the interception of Eno at the departure hall of the Lagos airport.
“When Eno’s luggage was searched, 50 parcels of cannabis (2.80kg) concealed in food items were discovered, while there were discrepancies between the age she declared and the date of birth on her international passport.
“Further interview reveals that the human trafficker who recruited and brought her to the airport, Mathew Bassey, was still lurking around the airport, waiting for her departure. He was promptly tracked and arrested.
“Investigations showed that the victim, who hails from the same Oron LGA of Akwa Ibom State, like Bassey, recently lost her mother and as a result made it easy for Bassey to recruit her with the promise of securing her a job in Dubai, UAE.
“It was further discovered that the recruiter leveraged on the victim’s naivety and planted drugs in her bag for onward delivery to his contact in Dubai.”