The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has intercepted a 26-year-old nursing student, Esther Onyinyechi Uzodinma, attempting to smuggle 76 wraps of cocaine to India. Uzodinma, a 200-level Nursing student at Noida International University, India, was apprehended at the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport (MAKIA), Kano, shortly before her scheduled flight.
NDLEA spokesperson Femi Babafemi disclosed that Uzodinma was arrested on Thursday, January 16, 2025, at 11:30 pm in a Kano hotel while awaiting the cocaine consignment she intended to ingest before her flight. Her arrest followed the capture of 31-year-old Cosmas Okorie on the Okene-Lokoja highway, who was found with 76 cocaine pellets concealed in an audio speaker meant for Uzodinma.
Uzodinma confessed that a drug cartel in India sponsored her trip to Nigeria for the Christmas holidays, promising her $5,000 for successfully delivering the drugs. She deliberately avoided her home state, Imo, to evade detection, moving between hotels in Enugu, Abuja, and Kano.
Related Operations
In other drug-busting efforts:
- Okene-Lokoja-Abuja Highway: Four suspects were arrested with over 38,000 tramadol pills concealed in audio speakers and clothing.
- Lagos: Operatives seized 10 parcels of Canadian Loud in Ojodu-Berger, 1,610 kilograms of cannabis in Igando New Town, and arrested suspects with 28 kilograms of Canadian Loud and 67 kilograms of skunk in Lekki and Lagos Island, respectively.
- Abuja and Kano: Quantities of tramadol, codeine, and psychoactive substances were recovered.
Advocacy and Commendations
As part of its War Against Drug Abuse (WADA), the NDLEA continues to raise awareness in schools, religious centres, and communities. The agency’s chairman, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), commended officers for their dedication and urged heightened efforts against drug trafficking.
The NDLEA remains resolute in its mission to combat drug abuse and trafficking across Nigeria.
