Few days after 3 pilgrims from Kwara State were caught with hard drugs in Saudi Arabia, another Saudi bound pilgrim from Kwara has been caught at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency said in a statement on Friday.
Basira Binuyo, 55, was arrested during the outward screening of passengers on an Emirate flight to Medina through Dubai.
Mrs. Binuyo Basira Iyabo
“She has so far excreted 76 pellets of drugs that tested positive for cocaine,” said Hamisu Lawan, NDLEA commander at the Abuja airport.
“Meanwhile, she is still under observation until the drugs are completely expelled.”
Mrs. Binuyo hails from Irepodun local government area of Kwara State and is married with three children.
Mrs. Binuyo, a trader at Dosumu market, Lagos, was quoted as saying she needed money to expand her business.
“I wanted to expand my cosmetic business but I have no money,”she said. “My sponsor offered to foot my expenses to Saudi on pilgrimage. I was excited until I was asked to take drugs along.
“I wanted to decline but considering the offer of a million naira, I accepted. I swallowed the drugs in Lagos and took flight to Abuja on my way to Medina but I was caught in the process.”
The NDLEA said it also intercepted Henry Okpalanem, a 37-year-old father of three from Imo state, at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, who had inserted seven wraps of cocaine weighing 355 grammes into his anus. He was on his way to China.
