1 week ago
37
By Sini Kwaji
Every time I come across reports of individuals swallowing illicit drugs to smuggle them abroad, I am left in utter disbelief and sadness. How can reasonable human beings risk their lives by ingesting dozens of wraps of cocaine for a few thousand dollars? The desperation, greed, and recklessness involved are both alarming and tragic.
Last weekend, the case of another such desperado, Chijeoke Nnanna, was reported by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) on Sunday, February 2, 2025. The 59-year-old was apprehended while carrying 81 wraps of cocaine inside his stomach. In his case, he almost died after ingesting cocaine wraps for eight days, from January 22 to 30, and had to endure a near-death situation, requiring surgery to extract 57 wraps of the drugs from his body. All in exchange for just $3,000, an amount that could hardly buy a decent car, let alone secure a stable future. This is not just a crime; it is, quite frankly, a death wish.
Since the NDLEA was rejuvenated in 2021 under the leadership of Brigadier General Mohamed Buba Marwa (rtd), the agency has been highly successful at catching drug mules upon arrival or departure at the country’s international airports, seaports and land borders. It has made significant strides in cracking down on drug trafficking at airports, seaports, and land borders. Only the most reckless traffickers would now imagine they could outsmart the system at these checkpoints.
Of late, we have seen reports of NDLEA’s successful interdictions on the waterways, particularly in Lekki, which used to be a major landing point for cannabis smuggled from West African countries. Just this past weekend, a large consignment of Loud from Ghana was seized, the traffickers arrested, and their vehicles impounded as the substances were being offloaded at the Lekki beach. That speaks volumes about the efficiency of the anti-narcotic agency.
Indeed, the NDLEA has stepped up its operations significantly, employing advanced scanning technologies, intelligence gathering, and increasing personnel at major exit points. Yet, many drug traffickers still believe they can evade capture.
The latest report is concerning as it shows there are still people desperate enough for money to ignore the severe health risks of ingesting drugs. The possibility of the wraps bursting inside the stomach is terrifying as it could immediately lead to overdose, seizures, coma, and almost certain death. Even if the wraps of cocaine don’t rupture, the long-term effects can be devastating. Victims often suffer from digestive disorders. The human body is not designed to store foreign substances, let alone life-threatening narcotics wrapped in rubber or plastic.
Most culprits, in their confessions, offer the same tired excuse of poverty or financial hardship as the reason they ventured into drug trafficking. For decades, drug trafficking fuelled the quick-money syndrome. But with the NDLEA’s turnaround, the rules of the game have changed. Traffickers now face the high risk of being caught, jailed, and losing their assets. Last year, the NDLEA reportedly arrested 17,670 traffickers and secured 3,427 convictions in court, two of whom received life sentences. Virtually all the convicts had their assets confiscated.
While Chijioke Nnanna may be thankful to the NDLEA for saving his life with timely surgery at Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, he must now face the consequences in court, where a jail term and asset forfeiture await him. That should serve as a lesson for other traffickers out there.
• Kwaji writes from Jimeta, Yola, Adamawa State
English (US) ·