The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency has arrested a grandmother, 51-year-old Monsurat Akinyemi at the Murtalla Muhammed International Airport, Lagos for being in possession of 180 grammes of heroin.
The suspect, a trader, was nabbed during an inward screening of passengers on an Ethiopian Airlines flight from Entebbe, Uganda. She had four parcels of the drug in her luggage.
According to a statement by NDLEA spokesperson, Mr. Mitchell Ofoyeju, the agency’s commander at the airport, Ahmadu Garba, said the suspect travelled to Uganda for one week and hid the drugs in her luggage on the way back.
“The case is under investigation and will be charged to court soon,” Garba said.
Akinyemi, an Ogun State indigene, told investigators that all she needed was money to expand her business.
She said, “I used to buy female clothes from India for sale. However, due to family problems and the economic situation, my business started to die. I wanted to expand my business. I was introduced to drug trafficking by a friend who invited me to Uganda. I invested my $3,000 in the deal and expected that I would get $6,000 from it. I am sad that things did not go as planned. I am not a criminal. I just want to survive. When the drug was discovered at the airport, I felt as if it was all over for me.”
Chairman of the NDLEA, Col. Mustapha Abdallah (retd.) said the agency would continue to fight the anti-narcotics war on all fronts.
“Uganda is not a source country for cocaine but drug cartels are unpredictable. They constantly change their mode of operation but we are prepared to counter all their tricks. We will remain vigilant in securing our country from the criminal activities of drug trafficking syndicates,” he said.
The NDLEA boss also called on members of the public to shun drug trafficking and protect their dignity.
“Investing $3,000 in drug trafficking when there are numerous legitimate businesses is ill-advised. People must look inwards and protect their family name,” Abdallah added.
