In recent times, operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have launched raids on online drug traffickers and couriers across the country.
Prior to the recent focus by the NDLEA on this innovative method of circulating illicit drugs by the peddlers, most Nigerians were in the dark about this new mode of operation.
But thanks to the NDLEA chairman, Rtd. Gen. Muhammad Buba Marwa and his hardworking team, the danger being wrought by the heartless drug cabal is coming to light.
This danger has further been brought to the fore by revelations by 21-year-old 300-level Mass Communication student of the University of Lagos, Chidinma Adaora Ojukwu, the alleged killer of Michael Usifo Ataga.
In her staement, Chidinma revealed that she was high on drugs and alcohol when she attacked and stabbed Michael Usifo Ataga to death during their stay in a short-let apartment in Lagos.
According to Chidinma Adaora, who hails from Arochukwu in Abia State, “I met him about four months ago through a friend. But this was the first time we were staying together.”
“He asked me to search online for a short-let apartment, I sent it to him and he said I should go check it out, which I did. He then paid for it. That was on 16th June, 2021.
“On Monday, we were together, drinking, smoking, we had fun together, later I went out to get food for both of us. Then on Tuesday, he was trying to make advances at me, I was tired but he became violent.
“Eventually, he got his way, which I let him. Towards afternoon we ordered for a smoke together that was what we took. We ate food, we became high, I wasn’t happy for the first one he did so I was sitting on my own.
“Smoking and drinking with my food. He was on the couch, later he came to me where I sat watching television and I told him I wasn’t happy with what he did in the first one. I told him, you don’t help or assist me but yet you just want to be playing with me around.
“He was like take my ATM card you can go and make withdraw what you want. He said the pin. I was like that is not what I mean, he became violent, trying to get to me and I was resisting and defending myself and at some point, he hit my head on the wall and I also retaliated. He was choking me when I was at the kitchen cabinet I leanned on, I stretched out to the knife and stabbed his neck.
“I attempted severally to leave when he became violent but he stopped me. Contrary to the rumour that I collected five million from his account, it was only N380,000.00 I withdrew from his account.
“I don’t have that kind of money in my account. I felt a lot after the incident even though I went home straight without reaching out to anyone. He was the one that gave me his ATM card and pin after I complained that he wasn’t taking care of me.”
“I wanted to use the money I withdrew from his account to pay my fees. He was the one that invited the drug guy, he is always having a smoke with him, so I don’t know if that was the first time.
“In the last four months I have known him, we haven’t gone out like this, we just met and then go to the house in Victoria Garden City.
“I felt disappointed when the police came to my parents’ house to arrest me. It was 9 pm when the police came and arrested me on Wednesday it was already very late. I live with my parents I told my parents that I was going for ushering job. I used to do freelance ushering jobs.”
“I checked into the short-let apartment with a foreign number, not because I had it all planned out or I didn’t want to be traced.
“The foreign number was what I used in contacting the lady that is in charge of renting out the short let apartment. I used an app to generate the foreign number.”
