…By Lola Smith for TDPel Media. Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have apprehended two drug kingpins based in Qatar, identified as Eyah Celestine Nnamdi (alias Murphy) and Ugwuoke Peter Oluchukwu.
The arrests were made following the interception of a methamphetamine consignment at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos.
Arrest of Ugwuoke Peter Oluchukwu at Lagos Airport
According to NDLEA spokesperson Femi Babafemi, the first arrest occurred on June 9 during the departure clearance of passengers on Qatar Airways at Terminal 2 of the Lagos airport.
The suspect, Ugwuoke, was found in possession of an Ivorian international passport bearing the name Hien Narcisse.
A search of his black carry-on luggage led to the discovery of two parcels containing crystalline substance, later confirmed to be methamphetamine, weighing 1.00kg.
Details of Ugwuoke’s Involvement and Qatar Connection
Preliminary investigation revealed that Ugwuoke is a Nigerian citizen who had obtained an Ivorian passport for his travels.
During questioning, he admitted to traveling to Qatar in August 2022 and returning to Nigeria two months ago in order to coordinate the movement of the drug consignment.
Further investigation led to the identification of his Qatar-based senior partner, known as Murphy, who was found hiding in Eziani, his hometown in Nsukka Local Government Area, Enugu State.
Background of Ugwuoke and Murphy (Eyah Celestine Nnamdi)
Ugwuoke, originally from Igboeze North LGA, Enugu State, claimed to hold a National Diploma in Electrical Engineering from the Federal Polytechnic Oko.
Murphy, who had previously lived in Indonesia before relocating to Doha, Qatar, was later identified as Eyah Celestine Nnamdi.
He was subsequently arrested on June 10.