A fifty-seven (57) year-old grandmother, and textile
merchant at Balogun market in Lagos, Odeyemi Omolara Morayo has been caught in
connection with cocaine smuggling to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
She
was arrested at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Lagos on Saturday
while attempting to board an Egypt Air flight.
The
suspect was believed to be embarking on lesser hajj when she was caught with
the substance weighing 1.595kg.
NDLEA
commander at the Lagos airport, Ahmadu Garba explained that the two parcels of
white powdery substance that tested positive for cocaine were carefully
concealed inside her luggage.
"The
cocaine which was concealed in a false bottom of her bag was discovered during
routine check on passengers at the departure hall. We had to cut the bag open
to recover the cocaine because of the way it was neatly concealed. She was
immediately arrested and the case is currently under investigation", Garba
was quoted in a statement by NDLEA spokesman Ofoyeju Mitchell.
The
suspect, an indigene of Ogun State, reportedly told investigators that her
friend and customer introduced her to drug trafficking.
Omolara
said, "I am a textile merchant at Balogun market, Lagos. I have two
children and my daughter is married with children. Recently, I told my friend
that I loved to go on pilgrimage this year and she promised to sponsor my trip.
That was how she collected my international passport, processed my travel
documents and bought return ticket on Egypt airline.
"The
only favour she requested from me was that I should take a bag to Saudi. She
also told me that somebody will collect the bag from me at Jeddah. It was an
empty bag so I kept my personal effects inside it. On getting to the airport,
officers discovered cocaine inside the bag during search and I was
arrested" Omolara stated.
Chairman/Chief
Executive of the NDLEA, Col Muhammad Mustapha Abdallah described the suspect's
action as condemnable, saying the agency had saved her from execution as drug
trafficking attracts capital punishment in Saudi.
"Apart
from saving her from execution in Saudi, the prompt arrest also protected our
country from disrepute. The Agency will not relent in the fight against illicit
drug production, trafficking and abuse" Abdallah said.
The
arrest came few days after Justice B.O. Quadri of the Federal High Court Abuja
sentenced a 55-year old female pilgrim Binuyo Basirat Iyabo to 10 years imprisonment
with hard labour after being caught last September for smuggling 76 pellets of
cocaine weighing 931 grammes to Medina, Saudi Arabia.
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