An attempt by 26-year-old Esther Onyinyechi Uzodinma, a 200-level student of nursing at the Noida International University, Uttar Pradesh, India, to swallow 76 wraps of cocaine hours before her return flight through the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport, MAKIA, Kano, has been thwarted by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency,NDLEA.
This was revealed in a signed statement by the agency’s Director, Media & Advocacy, Femi Babafemi on Sunday, January 19, 2025.
Esther’s return flight to Delhi, India from MAKIA Kano on Qatar Airways was scheduled for 14:32 on Friday 17th January 2025 but was arrested in her room at 11:30pm on Thursday 16th January at Royal Park Hotel Sabon Garin Kano, while she waited for the cocaine package she was to ingest before her flight the next morning.
She said she was promised over $5,000 upon successful delivery of the illicit consignment in India.
Her cover was blown open when NDLEA operatives on patrol along Okene-Lokoja highway in Kogi state on Thursday 16th January intercepted 31-year-old Cosmas Okorie in a commuter bus coming from Lagos to Kano.
Inside his black nulon was an audio speaker, which was used to conceal 76 pellets of cocaine weighing 1.340 kg, which he was going to deliver to Esther in Kano. A swift follow up operation in Kano led to the arrest of the female nursing university student later that same day.
In her statement, Esther claimed the drug cartel she was working for recruited her in India and paid for her trip to Nigeria to enjoy her Christmas and New Year holidays.
To avoid her parents knowing she was in Nigeria, Esther did not travel to her home state, Imo but was lodged for two weeks in a hotel in Enugu, from where she was flown to Abuja and then Kano where she was to ingest the 76 wraps of cocaine sent to her from Lagos before taking her flight to India on Friday.
