NDLEA Arrests India-bound Student Over Attempt to Ingest 76 Wraps of Cocaine

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has successfully thwarted a 26-year-old student’s attempt to ingest 76 wraps of cocaine just hours before her scheduled return flight to India. Esther Onyinyechi Uzodinma, a 200-level nursing student at Noida International University, Uttar Pradesh, India, was arrested on January 16, 2025, at the Royal Park Hotel in Sabon Gari, Kano. She had planned to swallow the cocaine before boarding her flight to Delhi the following morning.

Esther was set to depart on Qatar Airways flight 1432 from Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport (MAKIA) on January 17, 2025. However, her involvement in a drug trafficking syndicate was uncovered during a sting operation by NDLEA operatives. The operation began with the interception of Cosmas Okorie, a 31-year-old man traveling from Lagos to Kano. Upon being searched at the Okene-Lokoja highway, Okorie was found with an audio speaker that concealed the 76 pellets of cocaine, weighing 1.340 kilograms. A follow-up investigation led to Esther’s arrest in her Kano hotel room, where she was awaiting the drugs to ingest before her flight.

Esther’s Involvement and Motivation

In her statement, Esther admitted that a drug cartel operating in India had recruited her. She was flown to Nigeria to spend the Christmas and New Year holidays, where she was directed to avoid her home state of Imo. Instead, she stayed in Enugu before being moved to Abuja and then Kano, where she was staying at the Royal Park Hotel. She explained that she was promised over $5,000 upon the successful delivery of the cocaine to her contact in India.

Other Drug Seizures and Arrests

The NDLEA also made several other significant arrests and drug seizures across the country. Among the operations:

• Kogi State: NDLEA operatives arrested Abdullahi Umar, Tijjani Samaila, Lucky Obotte, and Abubakar Haruna who were transporting over 38,000 pills of tramadol concealed in audio speakers and cloths.
• Lagos: In separate operations, operatives arrested Nwokedi Emeka Jonas, 59, at Ojodu-Berger and seized 4.9kg of Canadian Loud, a synthetic cannabis strain. Additionally, Isaac Vincent, Ebube Ikechi, and Christopher Usifoh were arrested in Alimosho with 1,610kg of skunk and 6kg of tramadol.
• Abuja: A suspect, Rufa’i Hashimu, 27, was arrested in Gwarimpa with 118 bottles of codeine syrup, and several others were nabbed with various quantities of tramadol, diazepam, and methamphetamine.
• Kano: Two suspects, Usama Adamu and Isah Ibrahim, were arrested with 7.6kg of skunk, 78 tubes of rubber solution, and 356 bottles of ‘suck and die’, a new psychoactive substance.

NDLEA’s Continued War Against Drug Abuse

The NDLEA’s War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) remains in full force, with the agency conducting sensitization programs at schools, worship centers, workplaces, and communities across Nigeria. These efforts aim to raise awareness about the dangers of drug abuse while encouraging the public to support the agency’s operations.

Chairman’s Statement

Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), Chairman/CEO of NDLEA, commended the agency’s officers for their successful operations, urging them to continue their efforts in reducing drug supply and demand across the country. He highlighted the importance of public cooperation in the ongoing fight against drug trafficking and abuse.

“We must not rest on our laurels as we intensify our balanced approach to drug supply reduction and drug demand reduction efforts,” Marwa concluded.