Food vendor inserts cocaine in private part

A food vendor, Chinelo Lynnette, 36, has been arrested by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency for smuggling 685 grammes of cocaine, inserted in her vagina.

Lynnette was apprehended at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, during the inward screening of passengers on an Ethiopian airline flight from Addis Ababa.

NDLEA commander at the airport, Mr. Hamza Umar, said the suspect ingested a few wraps and inserted others in her vagina.

Food vendor - Lynnette; the drug

He said, “The suspect tested positive for drug ingestion and vagina insertion. She expelled a total of 685g of substance that tested positive for cocaine while under observation at the airport.”

Lynnette said that she was deceived into drug trafficking under the guise of importing female bags.

She said, “I am a food vendor at Ajangbadi, Lagos, and have never been involved in crime. I was abandoned by my husband two years ago and left to cater for our children alone. All this while, I have been doing my best to provide for them and pay their school fees.

“The last straw that broke the camel’s back was when the landlord ejected me; I had nowhere to turn to for solace. While I was crying, a man who I did not know came to console me. He promised to help by introducing me to the importation business. I felt he was God sent until he sponsored my trip to Addis Ababa. It wasn’t until I got to Ethiopia, that I knew it was drug trafficking. When I tried to refuse, he threatened to recover his investment at all cost.”

Chief Executive of NDLEA, Mr. Ahmadu Giade, said drug traffickers always changed routes and tactics.

He said, “Going to Addis Ababa to smuggle cocaine into Nigeria is one of the tricks employed by drug trafficking syndicates. Cocaine is not known to come from Addis Ababa, but we were able to detect it because of our vigilance. Members of the public should at all times be conscious of the tricks employed by drug syndicates. We look forward to fruitful progress in our investigation at the end of which the suspect will be charged to court.”