BREAKING: 44-year-old woman nabbed for using minor as drug courier in Lagos

LAGOS—The Police in Lagos State have arrested a 44-year-old woman, identified as Taiye Abass, for allegedly using her 10-year-old niece as drug courier in the state.

It was learned that Taiye was arrested when her niece was found roaming the street and was brought to Pen Cinema Police Division by a neighbour.

However, trouble started for her when the Divisional Police Officer, DPO, ordered that the girl should take her bath, while they look for her parents.

While the girl was trying to take her bath, the police discovered some substance suspected to be Cororado planted in her panties.

The minor (names withheld) said the suspect, who is her mother’s sister, brought her from Ilorin, Kwara State about two months ago to stay with her.

Two days after her arrival, the suspect planted the drugs in her panties after having her bath to take to her shop. At the shop, she would remove the drugs and sell to some people daily.

According to the minor, “My ‘mummy’ told me that she has to plant the drugs on me because of police search. I will pass the police, they will not search me. I am always sad anytime she plants the drugs on me.

“I will not complain because she will beat me. My father is dead, my mummy is in Ilorin. I want the police to take me to my grandfather. My grandfather is in this Lagos.”

Confessing to the crime, after her arrest, the suspect said she was introduced to the business by one Azeez about three months ago, while she had used her niece for the business only two months.

Abass said she sent the girl to buy a loaf of bread and the girl went missing.

She said she got a call to come to the police station to identify a child found roaming the street, adding that when she got to the station, she found her niece.

Confirming the arrest, the command’s spokesperson, Benjamin Hundeyin, said the suspect was arrested after her niece was found roaming the street and was brought to Pen Cinema Police Division by a neighbour.

The suspect said the police questioned her about the drugs planted on her niece, which she admitted to.
She pleaded with the police for mercy, promising not to go back to such crime.

According to Hundeyin, “the discovery prompted further questions, which revealed that this has been going on for a long time. So, we have to extend investigation to her house and we were able to bring her guardian (suspect) to the police station.

“She did not deny it. She admitted that this has been her way to courier her drug from her house to the shop where she sells them to beat police check.

“That is why we are exposing her to Nigerians, the method used by drug baron to courier drugs within the metropolis,” he said.

He added that the girl would be handed over to her family from Ilorin, while the suspect would be prosecuted accordingly.