Nigerian Nursing Student Busted by NDLEA with Cocaine in Kano
A 26-year-old Nigerian nursing student, Esther Onyinyechi Uzodinma, has been arrested by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) in Kano for attempting to smuggle 76 wraps of cocaine to India.
Uzodinma, a 200-level student at Noida International University in Uttar Pradesh, India, was scheduled to return to the country on Friday, January 17th, 2025. However, NDLEA operatives apprehended her at Royal Park Hotel in Sabon Garin Kano on Thursday evening, January 16th, while she awaited the delivery of the cocaine she intended to ingest before her flight.
Following Okorie’s arrest, NDLEA operatives swiftly moved to Kano and apprehended Uzodinma at the hotel.
In her statement to authorities, Uzodinma admitted to being recruited by a drug cartel in India. They had paid for her trip to Nigeria for the holidays and instructed her to avoid returning to her home state of Imo. Instead, she was lodged in a hotel in Enugu for two weeks before being flown to Abuja and then Kano.
Uzodinma confessed that she was promised over $5,000 for successfully delivering the cocaine to India.
This incident highlights the ongoing efforts of the NDLEA in combating drug trafficking and preventing the movement of illicit substances across international borders.