A female trader in Lagos state, Taye Abass, has been nabbed by the Lagos State Police Command for trafficking Colorado, a strong narcotic, through her 10-year-old niece (name withheld) to avoid police inspections.

The woman, who lives in Oko Oba, Lagos state, admitted to the crime as she was paraded by police at the state headquarters in Ikeja, Lagos, on Tuesday.

Abass stated that she always used the girl to traffick the drugs from their home to her shop in order to avoid getting stopped because no one would “suspect a small girl”.

Explaining the process, Abass said, “When I went to Ilorin, my mother asked me to bring her with me to Lagos about two months ago. I sell drinks. When she got to my place, feeding was hard. Where I usually take my drinks for sale, somebody then introduced me to Colorado that I should be selling it. He told me the police always arrested people selling it. So, whenever I am taking the drinks for sale, I usually put it (the drug) in her underwear, and ask her to put it in the shop where I always collect it back from her.”

The woman pleaded for mercy and forgiveness, claiming that it was due to hardship and that other conspirators had fled.

Briefly narrating her ordeal, the underage girl stated that the drug was discovered on her body after she was taken to the police station and wanted to have a bath.

The girl explained that the Abass is a sister’s mom and she started putting drugs on her after she got to her place to live with her.

“She used to sell it but I don’t know those that do come to buy it. She tells me she puts it on my body because the police cannot search me,” she said.

In a statement to the press, Public Relations Officer for the State Police, Benjamin Hundeyin, stated that the culprit was apprehended by the combined efforts of the people and the police.

The PPRO explained that the incident demonstrates the success of the public-private partnership. The child was found wandering the street, and a kind neighbour escorted her to the station, where she complained about being mistreated at home, and she ran away while doing an errand. While she was being forced to bathe and change her clothes, it was discovered that the medication was secreted in her pants, which raised more suspicions.

Hundeyin noted that they carried out the investigation at the girl’s house and were able to bring her guardian to the Pen Cinema Division station. He remarked that Abass did not deny the allegations; she stated it was her method of transporting drugs from her house to her shops.

He went on to say that the girl would be returned to her family and that the suspect would be prosecuted.