Women in Drug Deals!

It is shocking to note that while these prominent women were busy contributing their quota to nation building,  others were finding solace in criminality; and this they do without recourse to the dignity of womanhood.

Otherwise, how could one explain a situation whereby a young lady for whatever reason,  inserted 176 wraps of cocain in her honeypot?



In 2009 alone no fewer than 236 women including a 64 year-old grandmother were arrested by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, (NDLEA) for drug offences.

Arrest,  mode of concealment and reasons

In the month of March 2009 operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency NDLEA attached to the Murtala Mohammed International Airport Ikeja Lagos, arrested a 51-year-old woman, Mrs. Maria Obasuyi for allegedly concealing 13.95 kilograms of cannabis sativa inside a bag which contained snails vegetables and other foodstuffs.  She claimed that she lived in Torino, Italy and hails from Edo state.

The strange discovery took place at the counter during luggage screening while attempting to travel back to Italy with the 17 parcels of the dried weeds which tested for cannabis neatly packaged.

When interrogated, she claimed to be a widow and a grandma struggling to offset certain bills.  “I am a widow with a two children and a grand child.

I never had problem until thieves stole Euros 27, 000.00 from me on my way to my state Benin city.  I am highly indebted because the money was not mine.  It is this problem that made me to take to drug.  The man that contracted me for this promised to pay me Euros 2, 000.00.”

In the same month, another woman, Mrs. Adeleke Abisola Maria 57,  (a widow) was arrested at the same Ikeja airport for attempting to export 3kgs of cocain for a fee of 4, 000. 00 pound sterlings.  She was to travel to London with the powdery substance which was carefully packed inside gari.

She claimed she took to drug deals after she lost her shop at Tejuosho modern market in Suru- lere, Lagos.

The following month, which was April, one Felicia Ajayi a 35 year-old Ijebu-Ode Ogun state based trader was equally arrested after she neatly packed the stuff in a black polythene bag and tucked inside gari.  She was on her way to Bombay;  blaming her predicament on poverty.

And in the month of May, 2009, two young ladies, Ojo Joy and Igbinosa Gladyz threw decency to the dogs and wallowed 178 wraps of hard drugs that tested for cocain.  They were arrested at the same airport with 79 and 99 wraps of the drugs respectively.

While Joy claimed she was on her way to Rome where she said she had lived for six years, Gladyz, a single parent was on her way to Italy.  If Joy had succeeded, she would have been paid Euros 3, 000.00, the money she claimed would have been used to procure operation on her ailing mother.

Also, Gladyz was promised Euros 5, 000.00 if she was successful, part of the money would have been used to pay the school fees of her only child and take care of other bills until she could find another credible job in far away Italy.

The next suspect of the anti-drug agents was a Guinean, Soumah Bountuo.  The 44 year-old trader was arrested at the Ikeja airport in September 2009 with 6.350kgs of pure cocain which street value was put at N69million.   She was aboard Iberia flight from Brazil.

The hard described as the “purest and single highest seizure of cocain made at the airport” was concealed industrially in  makeup kits and packed in two black bags.

The french speaking suspect told operatives of NDLEA that she used to travel to Cameroon, Ivory Coast and Nigeria to buy clothes until she met an undisclosed sponsor.   “I am a widow, my husband died in 2004 leaving me and my 22 year-old daughter.

The man that introduced me to drugs said that I should be going to Europe to buy my wares and I was excited about it.

They paid my travel expenses to Brazil and somebody even received me when I arrived.  I thought they were being nice, unfortunately it turned out to be drug trafficking,” she lamented.

As if the women were undaunted in their drug deals in spite of the continued arrest and paraded before newsmen, another woman who identified herself as Afegbai Esther was nabbed at the airport too while attempting to export 83 wraps of powdery substances which tested for cocain and heroin.

The single mother of two admitted swallowing the substances with the aid of Ogbono soup.  Out of the 83 wraps, 60 tested for cocain while 23 tested for heroin; both weighing 1.140kgs.  Esther confessed that her boyfriend named Izu introduced her into the drug deal and even promised to marry her afterwards.  She was promised Euros 5,000.00 for the trip.!

NDLEA boss reacts

Reacting to the sad influx of women into criminality, especially drugs, the chairman chief executive officer of the anti drug agency, Alhaji Ahmadu Giade described the trend as saddening.

He said women were supposed to be mothers of the world and equally mirror through which the world is viewed lamenting however that their involvement in criminality activities has shown the reverse.  According to him, since the women would not be ashamed to swallow and insert rugs into their private part, the agency would not be tired to exposing them.

He however warned the courier to watch mouth watery offers for sponsor to Europe. “Success can be achieved anywhere.  When people offer to sponsor your trip to Europe and you are suspicious, discreetly, contact the nearest NDLEA office.  By so doing, we will be able to nip the plot in the bud,” he assured.