Mother of three vomits cocaine at Abuja airport

Forty-eight-year-old Saidat Hassan, was on her way out of the country with a strange substance in her stomach when she suddenly became sick at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.

Drugs trafficking, The drugs

Before anybody could ask if she was okay, Hassan had vomited fifteen wraps of white powdery substances which later tested positive for cocaine.

According to the spokesperson for the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, Mr. Mitchell Ofoyeju, the incident took place at the central screening section of the departure hall during the screening of passengers on an Egypt Airline flight to Jidda, Saudi Arabia en-route Cairo.

“She was immediately apprehended by NDLEA officers, who later discovered that she had ingested 80 wraps of cocaine weighing 904 grammes,” Ofoyeju said.

It was learnt that when officials realised that what Hassan had vomited was cocaine, they placed her under observation till she excreted 65 more wraps of the drug.

The NDLEA commander at the airport, Mr. Hamisu Lawan, said that efforts were made to protect her from any harm resulting from drug ingestion.

Hassan, who told officials that she is a native of Idiroko, Ogun State, but resides in Lagos Island, explained that she is a business woman who deals in clothing materials.

She said in her statement, “I buy my goods from Ghana. I was introduced into the drug business by a friend and business partner. The drug was brought from Abidjan, Ivory Coast and we were supposed to share the proceeds equally.

“Until my arrest, I never knew that the cocaine I ingested could have led to my death in Saudi Arabia. I thank God for keeping me alive.”

Few years ago, a female drug trafficker, Ifeoma Joy, who vomited 79 wraps of cocaine at the departure hall of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos later died when part of the drug burst in her stomach.

Chairman/Chief Executive of the NDLEA, Col. Mohammad Abdallah (retd.) expressed satisfaction with her arrest and directed that she must be duly prosecuted.

Abdallah stated “A mother of three children swallowing cocaine is the height of parental ineptitude. I am glad that she did not die from drug ingestion and she is alive to face trial. This arrest has also saved her because drug trafficking in Saudi Arabia, her final destination, is punishable by death.

“I expect the general public to draw lessons from this case that drug trafficking leads to immeasurable pain, ignominy and untimely death.”

Meanwhile, the Ondo command of the NDLEA has said that it seized 64 tons of hard drugs and 24 tons of cannabis in the last one year.

The State Commander, Mr. Mohammed Sokoto stated this while speaking at the Awareness Workshop on Psychotropic Substances organised in collaboration with the state branch of the National Association of Parent Medicine Dealers in Akure, Ondo State, on Friday.

Mother of three vomits cocaine at Abuja airport

NDLEA probes Arik attendant caught with N105m cocaine

OPERATIVES of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency on Tuesday night stormed the headquarters of Arik Air in Ikeja Lagos following the arrest in London of a crew member of the airline for allegedly being in possession of cocaine.

The Arik crew member, identified by the anti-narcotics agency as Chika Egwu Udensi, was arrested on Monday night by operatives of the United Kingdom Border Force with 20 kilogrammes of cocaine in London.

The NDLEA agents were said to have searched Udensi’s latest Range Rover parked on the airline’s premises. Arik spokesman, Adebanji Ola, confirmed the visit by the NDLEA’s operatives.

Udensi was arrested at the London Heathrow Airport shortly after an Arik Air flight W3101 that departed from the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, touched down in the UK.

Udensi’s arrest came barely two years after two crew members of the Arik Air were similarly nabbed by the UK Border Force in London.

Officials of the NDLEA on Tuesday put the street value of the drug found with the suspect at £350,000 (N105m).

The Arik Air on Tuesday confirmed the arrest of its cabin crew member by the UK Border Force.

The airline, in a statement which read like the one issued after the 2013 incident, said it had commenced investigation into how the banned substance got into the suspect’s possession.

The statement by Ola, read, “A member of Arik Air cabin crew was on Monday night arrested at the Heathrow Airport, London, by the UK Border Force in connection with alleged possession of item suspected to be a banned substance.

“The airline is presently carrying out its private investigation to determine how the cabin crew member came about the suspected banned substance.

“Arik Air will also be cooperating fully with the UK authorities and other appropriate agencies in their investigations.”

The statement added, “The airline again reaffirms its commitment to the fight against drug and illicit substances trafficking and will not tolerate the use of any of its aircraft or crew for the courier of banned items and substances.

“Arik Air carries out very stringent checks on all members of staff and its travelling guests ahead of all flights. The airline will continue to focus its attention on measures to prevent the possibility of any future similar incidents.

“Arik Air is a responsible Nigerian company, always seeking to maintain and uphold the integrity and proud reputation of the nation.”

Our correspondent learnt that the Managing Director of the airline, Mr. Chris Ndulue; and the Director of Flight Operation, Captain Ado Sanusi, were onboard the flight.

A top official of the airline, who spoke to The PUNCH in confidence, said that Ndulue and Sanusi travelled on the flight for a “special meeting” in the UK.

Details of the said meeting were not known as of press time.

When asked whether Ndulue and Sanusi were onboard the flight and their mission in the UK, the airline’s spokesperson, Ola, simply answered, “I don’t know; I don’t know.”

The Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Mr. Ahmadu Giade, on Tuesday ordered investigation into the operations of Arik Air following the development.

The Nigerian anti-narcotics agency said in a statement that it had notified the National Crime Agency of the United Kingdom of the arrest.

The statement quoted Giade as saying, “The agency will carry out full scale investigation into this case to ascertain those behind the criminal act. We shall work closely with our international collaborators on the matter. Arik Airline will be sanctioned if found wanting.

“The agency shall invoke section 25 of the NDLEA Act against the airline, which states that it shall be the duty of every commercial carrier to take reasonable precaution to ensure that its means of transport are not used in the commission of offences under this Act.

“Every commercial carrier is expected to comply with appropriate security measures at points of entry and exit in the Federal Republic of Nigeria and other customs control areas, to prevent unauthorised cargo in its means of transportation.

“The law refers to the precautionary measures to include training of personnel, promotion of integrity of their personnel, submission of cargo manifests in advance, use of tamper-resistant, individually verifiable seals on containers and reporting to the agency at the earliest opportunity all suspicious circumstances relating to drug trafficking.

“Nigeria has a cordial working relationship with the United Kingdom in drug control. This has resulted to a drastic reduction in the number of arrests made in the United Kingdom from flights originating from Nigeria over the years.”

In December 2011, another Arik Air cabin crew, Ms. Chinwendu Uwakaonyenma Ogbonnaya, was similarly arrested in London for drug trafficking.

She was subsequently jailed for five years in London.

Also in 2013, precisely on May 21,   two female crew members of the airline were arrested at the same Heathrow Airport in London for suspected drug trafficking.

The two had been arrested after a package of drugs was discovered by Border Force officers on a bus which had been used to transport air crew.

The street value of their haul as of the time had been put at around £600,000.

NDLEA probes Arik attendant caught with N105m cocaine

Woman nabbed with 686 grammes of cocaine in her private part

LAGOS — Plan by a food vendor who allegedly inserted 685 grammes of cocaine in her private part, to beat security operatives at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, has been foiled,as she was arrested by officials of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA

The suspect identified as Chinelo Okorom Lynnette, 36, was arrested  during  an inward screening of passengers on an Ethiopian Airline flight from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia to Nigeria.

NDLEA Head of Public Affairs, Mitchell Ofoyeju, who made the disclosure, yesterday, said the suspect concealed the  drugs in a cellophane bag before inserting it into her private part and ingested some.

He said: ”The suspect tested positive for drug ingestion and vaginal insertion. She, however, expelled a total of 685 grammes of substance that tested positive for cocaine while under observation at the airport.”

 

I was deceived

—Suspect

However, the suspect, reportedly told NDLEA officials at the Airport Command headed by Mr Hamza Umar that she was deceived into the illicit business out of frustration by her landlord, following  her in ability to pay her rent.

According to her, “My husband abandoned me with four children two years ago. Since then, I have been working hard to pay their  school fees and also ensure their proper upkeep. I sell food at Ajagbandi to take care of my children.

“When my rent expired, I had no money to renew it. My landlord ejected us and I had nowhere to go with the children or who to talk to. I was crying like a baby when a man came to console me.

“He told  me to wipe my tears and promised to introduce me to importation business. I felt he was God-sent when he sponsored my trip to Addis Ababa. Before leaving, he said I was to go into importation of female hand  bags.

“But when I got to Ethiopia, he told me to take cocaine to Nigeria. Initially, I disagreed but he threatened to recover his investment at all cost. I am just a victim of man’s cruelty to man.”

Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Ahmadu Giade, said the arrest was made following the eagle-eye operatives at the airport, as a result of  different antics used by drug traffickers..

He noted: ”Going to Addis Ababa to smuggle cocaine into Nigeria is one of the tricks employed by drug trafficking syndicates. Cocaine is not known to come from Addis but we were able to detect it because of our vigilance. We are prepared to counter  activities of drug kingpins and bring them to justice. We look forward to fruitful progress in our investigation.”

He, therefore, advised members of the public to be cautious of the tricks by drug syndicates, adding that the suspect’s action is shameful.

 

Woman nabbed with 686 grammes of cocaine in her private part