Rapper arrested in record ecstasy bust

TWO Nigerian citizens and two Namibians – including a well-known rap musician – appeared in the Windhoek Magistrate’s Court on Monday on a charge of dealing in a record quantity of Ecstasy.

The four were arrested in Windhoek on Friday last week. They are Nigerian nationals Peter Uche Ugwuang (29) and Madueke Anselem Chikezie (41), rap musician Johannes Felix Shikololo (28), and Emma Mweneni Iitamalo (29).The four made a first court appearance before Magistrate Desmond Beukes on Monday on a charge of dealing in prohibited dependence-producing substances.They were informed of their rights to legal representation, and were told that their case was being postponed to July 11 at the request of Public Prosecutor Hitjevi Tjiroze for further investigations to be done and for Ugwuang, who was the only one of the four to tell the court that he wanted to get a lawyer to represent him, to arrange his legal representation.The four remain in Police custody.According to Police spokesperson Warrant Officer James Matengu, members of the Drug Law Enforcement Unit who were following up on a lead carried out the arrests at a house in Windhoek North where, it is claimed that they found a plastic bag hidden under a bed, and discovered over 1 000 Ecstasy tablets wrapped in a newspaper inside the bag, Matengu said.According to another Police source, a total of 1 158 tablets, with a street value of about N$138 000.The previous record was set when someone was caught with 499 Ecstasy tablets at a post office in Windhoek in June 2001.They are Nigerian nationals Peter Uche Ugwuang (29) and Madueke Anselem Chikezie (41), rap musician Johannes Felix Shikololo (28), and Emma Mweneni Iitamalo (29).The four made a first court appearance before Magistrate Desmond Beukes on Monday on a charge of dealing in prohibited dependence-producing substances. They were informed of their rights to legal representation, and were told that their case was being postponed to July 11 at the request of Public Prosecutor Hitjevi Tjiroze for further investigations to be done and for Ugwuang, who was the only one of the four to tell the court that he wanted to get a lawyer to represent him, to arrange his legal representation.The four remain in Police custody.According to Police spokesperson Warrant Officer James Matengu, members of the Drug Law Enforcement Unit who were following up on a lead carried out the arrests at a house in Windhoek North where, it is claimed that they found a plastic bag hidden under a bed, and discovered over 1 000 Ecstasy tablets wrapped in a newspaper inside the bag, Matengu said.According to another Police source, a total of 1 158 tablets, with a street value of about N$138 000.The previous record was set when someone was caught with 499 Ecstasy tablets at a post office in Windhoek in June 2001.