NDLEA Foils Drug Trafficking Attempt by Nigerian Student, Seizes Large Quantities of Illicit Substances
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has intercepted a 26-year-old nursing student, Esther Onyinyechi Uzodinma, in an attempt to smuggle 76 wraps of cocaine to India.
Esther, a second-year student at Noida International University in Uttar Pradesh, was arrested at the Royal Park Hotel in Sabon Gari, Kano, just hours before her scheduled Qatar Airways flight to Delhi on January 17, 2025.
The NDLEA disclosed her arrest in a statement signed by its Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, and published on the agency’s website on Sunday.
Sting Operation Unveils Drug Smuggling Plan
According to the statement, Esther was apprehended as she awaited the cocaine consignment she was supposed to ingest before her flight.
“She was set to board a Qatar Airways flight from Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport (MAKIA) to Delhi, India, when NDLEA operatives arrested her in her hotel room at 11:30 pm on January 16,” the agency revealed.
Her arrest followed a sting operation that led to the capture of Cosmas Okorie, a courier who was transporting the illicit drugs concealed in an audio speaker.
“NDLEA officers patrolling the Okene-Lokoja Highway in Kogi State intercepted a commuter bus traveling from Lagos to Kano. Inside a black polythene bag belonging to 31-year-old Cosmas Okorie, operatives discovered an audio speaker hiding 76 pellets of cocaine, weighing 1.34 kilograms,” the statement added.
Following this discovery, a follow-up operation in Kano led to Esther’s immediate arrest.
Recruited in India for Drug Trafficking
During questioning, Esther disclosed that she was recruited by a drug cartel while in India and sponsored on a trip to Nigeria under the guise of celebrating the Christmas and New Year holidays.
To avoid detection by her family, she deliberately stayed away from her home state, Imo, and spent two weeks in a hotel in Enugu before flying to Abuja and later Kano. She was instructed to ingest the 76 pellets of cocaine before boarding her return flight to India, where she was promised over $5,000 for a successful delivery.
Multiple Drug Busts Across Nigeria
In a separate operation along the Okene-Lokoja-Abuja Highway, NDLEA operatives arrested four individuals transporting over 38,000 tramadol pills concealed in audio speakers and clothing. The drugs were destined for Maiduguri, Kano, and Abuja.
Further anti-drug operations in Lagos led to the arrest of multiple suspects and the seizure of a significant quantity of illicit substances. In Ojodu-Berger, NDLEA officers raided the hideout of 59-year-old Nwokedi Emeka Jonas, uncovering 10 parcels of Canadian Loud cannabis (4.9kg) with branded packaging labeled with street names like “Dead Man” and “Gelato Cake.”
A separate raid in Igando led to the arrest of three suspects, from whom 1,610kg of cannabis and 6kg of tramadol were seized. In Lekki, 28kg of Canadian Loud was recovered, while operations in Lagos Island and other parts of Lekki uncovered 67kg of cannabis, codeine syrup, tramadol, Molly, methamphetamine, and ₦623,650 in cash.
Drug Seizures in Kano, Kwara, and Taraba
In Kano, NDLEA arrested two individuals in Dawakin Tofa Local Government Area with 7.6kg of skunk, 78 tubes of rubber solution, and 356 bottles of a psychoactive substance known as “Suck and Die.” Another suspect was caught along Zaria Road with 114 blocks of skunk, weighing 49.8kg.
In Kwara State, three suspects were arrested in Bode Saadu with 390 Molly tablets and 65.5kg of cannabis. Meanwhile, in Taraba, a suspect was caught transporting 25,000 tramadol pills along the Wukari-Zaki Ibiam Road.
NDLEA’s Commitment to Drug Eradication
The NDLEA reaffirmed its dedication to tackling drug trafficking across Nigeria, urging citizens to remain vigilant and report suspicious activities. The agency emphasized its continued crackdown on illicit drug networks and its commitment to dismantling drug cartels operating within and beyond the country’s borders.
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