l Herald’s 3 part series on Nigerians on the loose selling drugs vindicated l Chucks Egbo roamed freely after his release from jail in Porvorim with no passport or documents. Now caught with 65 pieces of ‘LSD papers’ l Used his FIR as ‘cause to stay’ in Goa, as Herald reported; tells cops he lives on the beach
VIBHA VERMA
vibha@herald-goa.com
ANJUNA: The connection between the group of Nigerian rioters who ran amuck and posed a serious danger to the lives and security of travellers on the NH-17 on October 13, and the illicit drug trade was, was effectively inferred. It is now proven.
Chucks Egbo, the man arrested with 65 LSD paper slips at Canca Parra on Sunday, was one the men who blocked traffic on the Porvorim highway after placing the body of their murdered countryman Obodo Uzomo Simeon on the road. Police sources in Anjuna confirmed that Egbo was one of the 51 arrested on charges of attempt to murder, for the Porvorim incident.
As Herald reported, Egbo was using his FIR copy to stay on without a passport or any other document. As one frustrated senior police officer remarked “He is literally a “state guest”, since he can’t be deported without any documentation and also because he has criminal proceedings against him. And after being arrested and released for the Porvorim incident, he continued to do what he was always here for. Sell drugs.
Nigerians have always lived in denial. Nigerian Ambassador to India, Ndubuisi Vitus Amaku on a visit to Goa after the incident had completely ruled out the involvement of any Nigerian in the drug trade in India and had urged the media to be responsible. We, at Herald ask him now to cooperate with the Goa government to expedite investigations and trials and secure the severest of punishments.
The arrest also establishes Herald’s three-part series on May 8-9-10 that reported about how these “official guests of the government” are not only using the FIRs registered against them as reason to stay here but some of them are also allegedly clandestinely carrying out the lethal trade.
The alleged drug trafficker is however a hard nut to crack. Police sources told Herald that on day-one of his interrogation, he has maintained complete silence about the source of drugs and related information. Similarly, neither his source of income is known nor his exact place of stay.
“He says he stays on the beach. He has no accommodation,” an officer said quoting the Nigerian. “He then told us he stays at Siolim.” A team was sent to Siolim on Monday evening to trace the exact location. The alleged accused has failed to submit his documents, which prima facie is obvious that he is illegally staying here.
Always in conflict
l 13 out of 51 arrested for NH-17 riots had criminal records. Chucks Egbo had no criminal case registered against him
l 190 Nigerians booked for various crimes between 2010-13
l Cases registered for overstaying and drug-related cases under the NDPS Act against citizens of Angola, Africa, Uganda, Nigeria and Somalia
