Photos: 60 and 59 year old grandmothers arrested for drug trafficking in Lagos

Officers of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have arrested two grandmothers, 60 year Adebayo Ebunoluwa Mercy and  59 year old Amodu Ayisat Grace, for attempting to traffick 108 wraps of banned substances that tested positive to cocaine and heroin,  to New York, United States and Medina, Saudi Arabia respectively.
They were arrested during outward screening of passengers at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport (MMIA) Lagos.

In a statement released today, NDLEA commander at the Lagos airport, Ahmadu Garba, said this will be the first time a grandmother of 60 years will be arrested for ingesting eighty-three wraps of narcotics. Also the second suspect was going to Saudi Arabia where drug trafficking attracts capital punishment. Garba added that 60 year old Adebayo was found to have ingested eighty-three wraps of heroin weighing 1.105kg and was on her way to the United States while 59 year old Amodu ingested twenty-five (25) wraps of cocaine weighing 275 grammes and was on her way to Saudi Arabia.

“Adebayo Ebunoluwa Mercy was arrested while boarding a Virgin Atlantic flight to New York while Amodu Ayisat Grace was caught trying to board an Ethiopian airline flight on her way to Medina, Saudi Arabia. The cases are under investigation”.

When interrogated, Adebayo who sells provision at Ikorodu said she took to drug trafficking due to economic hardship

“I am a divorcee selling provision for survival. Things became rough and tough for me when I lost my capital due to family problems. It has been my dream to travel to the United States in search of greener pastures. My involvement in drug trafficking was an afterthought. My intention when I got my visa last year was to go and work to take care of my needs without being a burden to anyone. Everything changed suddenly when I met an old friend at a party. They took care of my travel expenses and gave me three thousand dollars with a promise to assist me secure a job in the United States. It was few hours to my journey that they brought the drugs for me to swallow. They said that it was my contribution for the kindness and money spent on my trip but it turned out to be my biggest mistake,” she said

On her part, 59 year old Amodu said as a Muslim she was elated when she was told she would be going to Saudi Arabia

“I was happy when they offered to sponsor my trip to Saudi Arabia but I never knew it will end in my detention. I sell fufu (staple food from cassava) to take care of my four children as a widow and this has been very challenging. They enticed me with a visit to Saudi Arabia and a handsome reward and I fell for trick. I only swallowed 25 wraps of the drug. Unfortunately I could not get to Saudi Arabia because of my arrest” Amodu said