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| Hassan Fatimat |
A 65-year-old
grandmother has been arrested for attempting to smuggle 1.740kg of cocaine into
London in herbal syrup.
It was not
her fist time of going to London and the drug was cleverly packed to avoid
detection. It was packed in balloons and inserted in ten plastic containers of
herbal syrup. The suspect, Hassan Fatimat Abike also known as Chika Okoye was
to board a British Airways flight when officers of the National Drug Law
Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) arrested her at the Murtala Mohammed International
Airport (MMIA) Lagos on Wednesday.
According to
the Airport Commander, Mr. Hamza Umar, the suspect has two international
passports that bear Hassan Fatimat Abike. Her passport numbers are A03348648
and A3771781A. “She was caught during the screening of British Airways
passengers to London. The cocaine found in her possession was packed in
balloons and prepared into the shape of the plastic bottles. It was also
wrapped in black polythene inside 10 plastic bottles of local herbal mixtures.
Each bottle was neatly sealed to avoid suspicion” Hamza explained.
Preliminary investigation revealed that she is
also known as Chika Okoye. She speaks Ibo and Yoruba fluently. Her father is a
native of Abeokuta while her mother hails from Owerri, Imo State. Hassan
Fatimat Abike also known as Chika Okoye has six children and many
grandchildren. She currently lives alone in Owerri and sells clothes to earn a
living. The drug found in her bag tested positive for cocaine and weighed
1.740kg.
In her
statement, she claimed ownership of the drug stating that it was given to her
by a friend. “I live at Owerri alone because my children are grown up and now
have their families. I sell clothes to take care of myself. I met an old friend
two weeks ago and during our discussion, I told him I will soon be traveling to
London. He asked me to deliver some herbal medicine to his sick relative in
London. I was only trying to assist an old friend. I blame myself for
everything because I should have turned down his request. The drug was detected
during search at the airport,” she stated.
Chairman/Chief
Executive of the NDLEA, Ahmadu Giade said that the Agency is investigating her
claim. “The case is under investigation to ascertain her role. This is very
worrisome considering the fact that she is a grandmother” Giade stated. He
urged members of the public to be vigilant because drug barons are desperate to
smuggle drugs and are prepared to use anybody.
The suspect
will soon be charged to court.
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