‘Dying’ cocaine trafficker forces Dubai-bound flight to land in Lagos

The deteriorating health condition of a suspected cocaine trafficker forced an Emirates flight from Sao Paulo, Brazil to Dubai, United Arab Emirates, to make an emergency landing in Lagos on Saturday.

Ahmadu Garba, commander of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) Lagos, confirmed the incident.

He said the suspect, who was in a critical condition had been admitted in the hospital, and that doctors were battling to save his life.

Garba disclosed that screening conducted on passengers exposed four other persons who had allegedly ingested narcotic.

“A passenger complained of severe abdominal pains and later suffered three recurrent seizures thus necessitating an emergency landing in Lagos,” he said.

“Upon arrival, four passengers tested positive for narcotic ingestion. They are Okeh Desmond, Ezeanya Nnaemeka, Christopher Nonso and Chibusi Promise. All the suspects are under observation.”

Muhammad Abdallah, chairman of NDLEA, warned against trafficking, vowing that his agency will not relent in its bid to curb the illicit act.

“NDLEA is taking necessary measures to protect and promote the image of Nigeria and will resist any attempt to undermine the gains so far recorded in the fight against drug control,” he said.

“Drug traffickers must be severely punished to reduce the number of persons getting involved in the criminal act. All hands must be on deck to condemn drug trafficking in its entirety.”