Arik Air Drug Trafficking Update: NDLEA Obtains CCTV Footage of Main Accomplice

Ikechukwu Chibuzor Oliver

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has obtained Closed-Circuit Television (CCTV) footage of how Arik Air staff, Ikechukwu Chibuzor Oliver, who worked as a catering loader smuggled three bags of cocaine among food supplies for flight W3101.

The NDLEA made this known on Saturday in a statement signed by the agency Head of Public Affairs, Mr. Mitchell Ofoyeju.

He explained that the agency also invited the younger brother of main suspect, Chika Egwu Udensi, for questioning. He added that Mr. Uwachi Amos Udensi, 32 years old, was invited in connection with alleged complicity in the ongoing investigation of 20kg of cocaine seized by the United Kingdom Border Force at Heathrow Airport.

Chika

Udensi, a senior flight attendant with the Arik airline was arrested on the 24th of August, Monday night by operatives of the United Kingdom Border Force with 20 kilogrammes of cocaine in London. The married father of two was arrested at the London Heathrow Airport shortly after an Arik Air flight W3101 that departed from the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, touched down in the UK.

Officials of the NDLEA put the street value of the drug found with the suspect at £350,000 (N105m). 

A statement from NDLEA says Oliver, 35, was found to have undermined airport security by concealing the 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.”.

Vehicles seized from Chika Egwu Udensi include a Land Rover, an Equinox Chevrolet, and a Dodge Hemi Magnum.

Ofoyeju stated that narcotic investigators were still working on evidences so far gathered on the case, adding that the management of Arik Air had been giving necessary assistance to the agency.