An Arik air catering loader, Ikechukwu Chibuzor Oliver (pictured above) has been arrested by the National Drug Law Enforcement, NDLEA, for being an accomplice to Chika Egwu, another staff of the airline who was on Monday Aug. 24 arrested at London's Heathrow airport with 20kg of cocaine worth N100 million.
Chika Egwu
A statement from NDLEA says Oliver, 35, was found to have undermined airport security by concealing cocaine in catering supplies. Oliver, an indigene of Abia state and a graduate of Business Administration, will place the banned substances into meal packs meant for the passengers and then will transfer the substance to Chika while onboard.
The statement quotes Oliver as saying
“It was Chika that introduced me into the drug deal. Whenever Chika gives me the drug, I will hide it in catering supplies. Chika knows where to collect the drug inside the flight. They pay me N400,000 per bag. I was expecting N1.2m for the three bags that I smuggled into the aircraft.”.
The statement further stated that the 20kg of cocaine found with Chika in London was concealed within the construction of laptop bags.
"The quantity and estimated street value of the cocaine is over N100m. The latest Range Rover (Land Rover) car belonging to the prime suspect parked on the airline’s premises had been moved to the NDLEA office as exhibit. As part of investigation, the rented apartment of Chika on Pastor Ojediran Street Ejigbo, Lagos was searched by operatives of the NDLEA. He lives there with the mother and siblings while his wife and children are based in Canada.”.
Meanwhile NDLEA Chief Executive Officer, Ahmadu Giade, has instructed that henceforth, all airport workers must be screened before coming into the airport.
