Four fishermen arrested on Lagos waters with N216 million worth of Indian hemp have confessed being paid N50,000 to ferry 72 bags into Nigeria from Lome, Togo.
The suspects, Monday Pongne (30), Eegbe Philip (31), Godswill Favour (29) and Agbedo Gomeda, were arrested by naval officers from NNS BEECROFT.
The suspects, who are all Ghanaians, claimed to be fishermen in a riverine community in the Seme border area of Badagry.
The Executive Officer of NNS WEY, Captain Mutalib Raji, who paraded the suspects before they were handed to NDLEA, said officers of the command had been on the trail of the suspects.
Captain Raji, who represented the Commander of NNS WEY, Commodore Taye Oladejo, said, “The suspects are members of a drug ring that specialise in shipping illicit substances through the waterways from some West African countries to Nigeria.
“Luck ran against the suspects on Sunday, August 25, 2024, when officers of the command sighted them on Lekki waters.
“Four of the suspects were arrested while ferrying 72 bags of cannabis, totalling 288kg, into Nigeria in a wooden boat, also known as Cotonou boat.”
He said that in their statements, the suspects said they were paid N50,000 each by the owner of the consignment to transport the drugs to Nigeria.
One of the suspects said, “We are fishermen based in the Seme border area of Badagry. The name of the person who gave us the job is Monday. He and two others escaped in another boat when we were arrested.
“We were asked to deliver the consignment at a Lagos beach.”
The Deputy Narcotics Officer, Marine, Lagos State Command of NDLEA, Augustine Opiepe, commended the navy for the series of arrests and seizure of hemp in the last six months.
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