A 48-year-old mother of three Saidat Hassan today reportedly vomited 15 wraps of cocaine at the Nnamdi Azikiwe Airport in Abuja.
Vanguard reports that this happened during screening at the departure hall as officers checked passengers boarding an Egypt Airline flight to Jedda, Saudi Arabia en-route Cairo.
Speaking with the press, the commander of National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) in Abuja, Hamisu Lawan said that the agency made efforts to prevent any harm coming to the mother after screening showed she had swallowed 80 wraps of cocaine. “As soon as we discovered that the wraps she vomited tested positive for cocaine, we took measures to ensure her safety by preventing any harm that may result from drug ingestion,” Lawan said, explaining measures they took to avoid any of the wraps from bursting in her stomach. “She excreted sixty-five (65) similar wraps. In all, she ingested 80 wraps of cocaine weighing 904 grammes; her case is under investigation.”
Retired Col. Mohammad Abdallah, the Chairman/Chief Executive of NDLEA, confirmed that she has been arrested. “This is gross ineptitude on the part of a mother saddled with the responsibility of nurturing her children into future leaders,” he said. “I am glad that she did not die from drug ingestion to face trial. Besides escaping the risk of swallowing cocaine, this arrest also saved her because drug trafficking in Saudi Arabia is punishable by death.
“She will soon be charged to court because the law must run its full course,” Rtd. Col Abdallah continued, “I expect the general public to learn lessons from this case that drug trafficking leads to pain, ignominy and untimely death.
My approach to drug control is both pragmatic and scientific. Every action taken must be based on best global principles; while lessons learnt will influence our implementation strategies in our day to day operations.”
During question, Saidat Hassan said she resides in Lagos Island and deals on clothing materials. “I am a business woman and I sell women clothes at Balogun market,” she said, “I used to 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 to share the proceeds equally.”
Ms Hassan also said she didn’t know of the death penalty law guiding Saudi Arabia. “I never knew that the cocaine I ingested would have led to my death in Saudi Arabia. I thank God for keeping me alive.”
Ms Hassan will be charged to court.
