$5,000 aborted: India-bound Nursing student Esther nabbed with 76 Cocaine pellets
Esther Onyinyechi Uzodinma busted
Published By: Kazeem Ugbodaga
By Kazeem Ugbodaga
In a dramatic turn of events, operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have intercepted a 26-year-old nursing student attempting to smuggle 76 wraps of cocaine to India.
The suspect, Esther Onyinyechi Uzodinma, a second-year nursing student at Noida International University in Uttar Pradesh, India, was apprehended just hours before her scheduled flight from Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport, Kano, to Delhi.
A statement issued by NDLEA’s spokesman, Femi Babafemi on Sunday, said the arrest took place on Thursday, 16th January 2025, following an intelligence-led operation.
He said NDLEA operatives had earlier intercepted 31-year-old Cosmas Okorie along the Okene-Lokoja highway in Kogi State.
Babafemi explained that Okorie was found in possession of an audio speaker concealing 76 pellets of cocaine weighing 1.34 kilograms, which he was transporting to Kano for Esther.
He revealed that acting on this lead, the agency traced the delivery to the Royal Park Hotel in Sabon Gari, Kano, where Esther was awaiting the consignment.
She was arrested at 11:30 p.m. while preparing to ingest the cocaine pellets for her flight the next morning.
According to Babafemi, during her confession, Esther revealed that she had been recruited by a drug cartel in India and had been promised over $5,000 for successfully delivering the cocaine.
To disguise her true intentions, she had travelled to Nigeria under the pretext of enjoying Christmas and New Year holidays but avoided visiting her family in Imo State.
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Instead, she stayed in a hotel in Enugu before being flown to Abuja and Kano to execute the plan.
Meanwhile, The NDLEA’s relentless crackdown did not stop with Esther’s arrest. In a series of coordinated operations across six states, the agency apprehended 33 suspects and seized large quantities of illicit substances.
In Lagos, operatives uncovered over 2.7 tonnes of cannabis and synthetic drugs in raids conducted in Ojodu-Berger, Igando, Lekki, and Lagos Island. In one high-profile bust, a residence in Lekki yielded 28 kilograms of Canadian Loud, a potent strain of cannabis.
In Kogi, four suspects were arrested along the Okene-Lokoja-Abuja highway with over 38,000 tramadol pills concealed in audio speakers and clothing.
In Kano, another operation led to the seizure of 7.6 kilograms of skunk and 356 bottles of a dangerous psychoactive substance known as “suck and die.”
Meanwhile, in Taraba State, NDLEA agents intercepted 25,000 tramadol pills during a vehicle search along the Wukari-Zaki Ibiam road.
The Federal Capital Territory also saw significant action, with 13 suspects arrested in locations including Gwarimpa, Lugbe, and Dei-Dei. Recovered items included large quantities of tramadol, codeine-based syrup, methamphetamine, and other illicit substances.
Similar successes were recorded in Kwara, where three suspects were nabbed with 65.5 kilograms of cannabis and 390 Molly tablets.
Chairman and CEO of the NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), commended the officers for their dedication and urged them to remain vigilant in their efforts to combat drug trafficking.
He emphasised the agency’s commitment to curbing both the supply and demand for illicit drugs, describing their work as vital to the future of the nation.
