By Jemimah Wellington, JKNewsMedia Reporter
EFFORTS TO traffic cocaine and other illicit drugs through Nigeria’s airports and highways have suffered major blows, as the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) intercepts multiple consignments in a sweeping crackdown.
A 200-level nursing student of Noida International University, Esther Onyinyechi Uzodinma, 26, was arrested in Kano on Thursday, 16th January, while preparing to ingest 76 wraps of cocaine ahead of her flight to India.
The arrest followed the interception of Cosmas Okorie, 31, along the Okene-Lokoja highway in Kogi State.
Hidden in a speaker, the cocaine weighing 1.34 kilograms was destined for Uzodinma, who confessed that she was recruited by an India-based cartel and promised $5,000 for the delivery.
In Lagos, a series of NDLEA raids uncovered 67 kilograms of skunk, 10 parcels of Canadian Loud, and a variety of psychoactive substances from multiple locations, including Lekki, Lagos Island, and Igando.
Vehicles used for drug distribution were also confiscated.
Elsewhere, raids in Kano, Kwara, Kogi, Abuja, and Taraba uncovered a total of 38,000 tramadol pills, 25,000 Molly tablets, and other illicit substances.
Arrests included suspects transporting drugs in hidden compartments, audio speakers, and clothing, demonstrating the increasing ingenuity of traffickers.
The NDLEA further intensified its War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) sensitisation campaigns, reaching schools, workplaces, and communities across the country.
Advocacy visits to governors and educational programmes in Oyo, Ekiti, Katsina, and other states were part of efforts to curb drug abuse.
NDLEA Chairman, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), commended officers for their diligence and urged them to sustain efforts to reduce both drug supply and demand.
