Kanyi Okeke
A forty seven year old woman has been arrested at Abuja International airport for having strange white powdery substance in her stomach.
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.
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.” – CKN.
