The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency has arrested a 26-year-old nursing student, Esther Onyinyechi Uzodinma, for attempting to smuggle 76 wraps of cocaine.
Esther, a 200-level student at Noida International University in India, was caught at the Royal Park Hotel in Sabon Gari, Kano, on January 16, 2025.
NDLEA spokesperson, Femi Babafemi, said in a statement on Sunday that Esther had planned to ingest the cocaine and board a Qatar Airways flight to Delhi from Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport.
Babafemi revealed that the consignment was intercepted earlier on a commuter bus along the Okene-Lokoja highway in Kogi State. The courier, Cosmas Okorie, 31, was arrested, leading to Esther’s capture.
Esther admitted in her statement that an Indian drug cartel recruited her, covered her travel expenses to Nigeria, and promised her $5,000 for delivering the drugs. She disclosed that she spent two weeks in an Enugu hotel before moving to Abuja and then Kano to avoid suspicion.
In other operations, NDLEA officers arrested 33 suspects and made significant drug seizures across six states.
In Kano, two suspects, Usama Adamu and Isah Ibrahim, were arrested with 7.6kg of cannabis, 78 tubes of rubber solution, and 356 bottles of “suck and die,” a psychoactive substance. Another suspect, Usman Isa, was caught with 49.8kg of cannabis.
In Lagos, officers raided several locations, recovering Canadian Loud, skunk, tramadol, and other substances. Notable arrests included three suspects in Igando New Town with 1,610kg of cannabis and two suspects in Lekki with 28kg of Canadian Loud.
In Kogi and Kwara, raids led to the arrest of several suspects transporting tramadol, cannabis, and Molly tablets. In Abuja, a suspect was apprehended with 118 bottles of codeine syrup in Gwarimpa village, while 13 others were arrested in various locations. In Taraba, a suspect was intercepted with 25,000 pills of tramadol.
The Chairman of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), commended officers for their dedication. He encouraged them to intensify efforts in combating drug trafficking and abuse.
“The fight against drug abuse and trafficking requires a balanced approach of supply and demand reduction. I urge all officers to remain committed,” Marwa said.
The NDLEA also continued its War Against Drug Abuse campaign, organizing sensitization programs in schools, communities, and workplaces across the country.
