by Atafo Igbinedion-
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has apprehended a 26-year-old nursing student, Esther Onyinyechi Uzodinma, over an alleged attempt to smuggle 76 wraps of cocaine to India.
According to Femi Babafemi, NDLEA’s Director of Media & Advocacy, the suspect, a 200-level nursing student at Noida International University in Uttar Pradesh, India, was scheduled to board a Qatar Airways flight to Delhi on Friday, January 17, 2025.
However, she was arrested the night before at the Royal Park Hotel in Sabon Garin Kano while waiting to ingest the cocaine consignment.
“Luck ran out for her when operatives intercepted 31-year-old Cosmas Okorie along the Okene-Lokoja highway in Kogi State earlier that day,” Babafemi said in a statement on Sunday.
“Okorie, who was traveling in a commuter bus from Lagos to Kano, was found with 76 pellets of cocaine concealed in an audio speaker.” The NDLEA quickly followed the lead to Kano, where Esther was arrested.
During interrogation, the nursing student revealed that she had been recruited by a drug cartel in India. “They paid for my trip to Nigeria so I could enjoy the Christmas and New Year holidays,” Esther reportedly said.
“To keep it a secret from my parents, I stayed in a hotel in Enugu for two weeks before being flown to Abuja and then Kano.” She admitted she was promised $5,000 for successfully delivering the drugs in India.
Babafemi emphasized the agency’s commitment to disrupting drug trafficking networks, warning potential collaborators to reconsider.
“This is yet another example of our resolve to combat drug cartels and prevent them from exploiting vulnerable individuals,” he stated.
The NDLEA is continuing investigations into the case.
