Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have uncovered multiple drug trafficking operations spanning major airports, urban centres and even a correctional facility, arresting several suspects and seizing significant quantities of cocaine, cannabis and opioids.
At the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, a China-based Nigerian businessman, Ibeanu Chukwudulue, 34, was intercepted while boarding a Qatar Airways flight to China via Doha. Acting on intelligence, NDLEA officers conducted a body scan which confirmed he had ingested illicit drugs. He later excreted 52 wraps of cocaine weighing 735.95 grammes.
On the same day, two Angolan nationals—Mbandu Makiadi, 50, and Ngoma Fernando, 52—were arrested at the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport during clearance for a flight to Istanbul. Body scans showed they had also swallowed narcotics. Makiadi excreted 76 pellets weighing 920 grammes, while Fernando expelled 108 wraps weighing 1.33 kilogrammes.
According to NDLEA spokesman, Femi Babafemi, the suspects claimed they were promised $3,000 each to deliver the consignments in Turkey.
In Lagos, operatives at the export shed of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport foiled an attempt to smuggle 1.1 kilogrammes of cocaine to London concealed inside garri. Investigations revealed the shipment was allegedly coordinated from the Ikoyi Correctional Centre by a convicted drug trafficker serving a five-year sentence. An employee who presented the cargo for export was arrested, while further inquiries uncovered how the operation was remotely directed from custody.
In another airport operation, officers thwarted an attempt to export 1.7 kilogrammes of skunk hidden inside jerry cans bound for the United Kingdom. A cargo agent and the alleged mastermind were apprehended.
In Abuja, NDLEA intercepted a parcel from Enugu containing a children’s toy guitar modified to conceal 59.2 grammes of “Canadian Loud,” a potent cannabis strain. A follow-up operation led to the arrest of the intended recipient in Life Camp.
Meanwhile, in Lagos’ Lekki area, NDLEA raided a four-bedroom duplex converted into a production site for Colorado, a synthetic cannabis variant known as “Colos.” The raid followed the seizure of 73 cartons of nitrous oxide linked to the distribution chain. Officers recovered 13.2 kilogrammes of freshly produced synthetic cannabis and precursor chemicals, dismantling what authorities described as a major urban drug production hub.
In Ibadan, a 45-year-old woman was arrested with over one kilogramme of synthetic cannabis and skunk, 320 grammes of methamphetamine, nearly ₦3 million in cash and two vehicles.
In Kwara State, operatives intercepted a vehicle carrying 105,400 tramadol pills along the Bode Saadu corridor, arresting the driver.
In Edo State, a forest raid in Ovia North East Local Government Area led to the arrest of five suspects and the recovery of 563.5 kilogrammes of skunk.
NDLEA Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa (Rtd.), commended officers for intelligence-driven operations and urged sustained enforcement efforts alongside the agency’s War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) sensitisation campaigns nationwide.
Michael Olugbode
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