Felix Temitope, Abuja
DAILY COURIER - The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested a 26-year-old nursing student, Esther Onyinyechi Uzodinma, at the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport (MAKIA), Kano, for attempting to smuggle 76 wraps of cocaine to India. The arrest was part of the agency's intensified efforts to combat drug trafficking and abuse across Nigeria.
A statement today by the agency's spokesperson, Femi Babafemi disclosed that Esther, a 200-level nursing student at Noida International University, Uttar Pradesh, India, was intercepted on the night of January 16, 2025, at the Royal Park Hotel, Sabon Gari, Kano. She was waiting to receive the cocaine consignment concealed in an audio speaker, which she planned to ingest before boarding her Qatar Airways flight to Delhi the following morning.
The operation unfolded after NDLEA operatives intercepted 31-year-old Cosmas Okorie along the Okene-Lokoja highway in Kogi State. Cosmas, traveling from Lagos to Kano, was found with the concealed drugs. His arrest led to a swift follow-up operation in Kano, where Esther was apprehended. In her statement, Esther admitted that the drug cartel in India recruited her and promised her over $5,000 for successful delivery.
In coordinated raids across multiple states, NDLEA operatives disrupted other drug trafficking operations:
Lagos: A special unit raided several locations, including the Ojodu-Berger area, recovering 10 parcels of Canadian Loud, a synthetic cannabis strain weighing 4.9kg. In Igando, Alimosho, 1,610kg of skunk, 6kg of tramadol, a delivery van, and vehicles were seized, while suspects Isaac Vincent, Ebube Ikechi, and Christopher Usifoh were arrested. Other notable seizures include 67kg of skunk and assorted drugs like codeine, methamphetamine, and tramadol from multiple locations, including Lekki and Lagos Island.
Kano: At Dawanau, Dawakin Tofa LGA, 7.6kg of skunk, 78 tubes of rubber solution, and 356 bottles of “suck and die” were confiscated. Additionally, 49.8kg of skunk was seized from Usman Isa along Zaria Road.
Kwara, Taraba, and Kogi: Multiple arrests were made, with seizures of tramadol, Molly tablets, and cannabis. In Wukari LGA, Taraba, operatives intercepted 25,000 pills of tramadol.
FCT, Abuja: 14 suspects were arrested across locations, including Gwarimpa, Zuba, and Lugbe, with various illicit substances recovered.
The NDLEA also intensified its War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) campaign, reaching schools, workplaces, and communities nationwide. Sensitization lectures were held at schools in Oyo, Ekiti, Cross River, Osun, Katsina, and other states, while the Abia State Command paid an advocacy visit to Governor Alex Otti.
Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), NDLEA Chairman/CEO, commended the officers and men of the agency for their dedication and urged them to sustain their balanced approach to reducing drug supply and demand.
The NDLEA's recent operations highlight its unwavering commitment to dismantling drug cartels and safeguarding the nation's youth from the menace of drug abuse and trafficking.
