The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has foiled an attempt by a 26-year-old nursing student, Esther Onyinyechi Uzodinma, to traffic 76 wraps of cocaine to India. The agency also arrested 32 other suspects in various raids across the country.
According to NDLEA spokesman, Femi Babafemi, Esther was arrested at the Royal Park Hotel in Kano, where she was waiting to ingest the cocaine pellets before boarding a flight to India. The cocaine, weighing 1.340 kilograms, was concealed in an audio speaker.
Esther, a 200-level student of Nursing at the Noida International University in India, claimed she was recruited by a drug cartel in India and paid to transport the cocaine. She was promised $5,000 upon successful delivery.
In addition to Esther’s arrest, the NDLEA also intercepted illicit consignments heading to Borno, Kano, and Abuja. Thirty-three suspects were arrested in Lagos, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Kano, Kwara, Kogi, and Taraba.
The NDLEA Chairman, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), commended the officers and men involved in the arrests and seizures, urging them to intensify their efforts in reducing drug supply and demand.
The arrests and seizures are a testament to the NDLEA’s commitment to combating drug trafficking and abuse in Nigeria