Nigeria: NDLEA foils India-bound student’s plan to smuggle 76 wraps of cocaine
Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have intercepted Esther Onyinyechi Uzodinma, a 26-year-old nursing student of Noida International University, India, who attempted to smuggle 76 wraps of cocaine through Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport (MAKIA).
It was gathered that the 200-level student, scheduled to fly to Delhi via Qatar Airways on Friday, January 17, 2025, was arrested late Thursday at the Royal Park Hotel, Sabon Gari, Kano, awaiting the cocaine consignment she was meant to ingest before her flight.
Her arrest followed the capture of Cosmas Okorie, who was stopped earlier that day along the Okene-Lokoja highway with 76 pellets of cocaine concealed in an audio speaker, intended for delivery to Esther.
In her statement, Esther revealed she was recruited by a drug cartel in India and promised $5,000 for successfully smuggling the drugs.
“The cartel paid for my trip to Nigeria for Christmas and New Year holidays. To avoid my parents knowing I was in Nigeria, I stayed in a hotel in Enugu before being flown to Kano,” she admitted.
Esther’s case highlights the ongoing challenge of combating drug trafficking networks exploiting students and vulnerable individuals.
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