The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested a previously convicted drug trafficker and three accomplices after intercepting a cocaine shipment concealed in sealed sachets of liquid starch and destined for the United Kingdom.
In a statement on Sunday, NDLEA spokesman Femi Babafemi said operatives uncovered 75 wraps of cocaine weighing 1.5 kilogrammes at the export shed of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos.
According to the agency, three freight agents — Jubrin Hassana, Kuku Oluwasegun and Igwe Jane — were arrested on Saturday, December 20, 2025, while processing the illicit consignment for export.
Further investigation, Babafemi said, led to the arrest of Nwobodo Chidiebere, 37, identified as the coordinator of the shipment. He was apprehended the following day at a relaxation centre in Ikeja.
NDLEA records showed that Nwobodo was convicted in 2023 for trafficking 30.1 kilogrammes of methamphetamine concealed in powdered custard containers and bound for the UK. He was sentenced to five years’ imprisonment with an option of a ₦7 million fine, which he paid before allegedly returning to drug trafficking.
Beyond the Lagos airport bust, the agency recorded multiple seizures nationwide. In Ekiti State, operatives dismantled cannabis warehouses in the Ara forest, recovering 638 kilogrammes of skunk. In Edo State, 1,205 blocks of compressed cannabis sativa weighing 883.1 kilogrammes were intercepted along the Igara–Auchi road.
Raids in Cross River State led to the arrest of three suspects with more than 900 kilogrammes of skunk, while a woman was arrested along the Abaji–Abuja expressway with 38 kilogrammes of cannabis while travelling from Edo State. In Lagos State, additional arrests followed the seizure of over 60 kilogrammes of skunk in Badagry and Agbara.
In Taraba State, two suspects were arrested in Takum with 48 kilogrammes of cannabis, while in Gombe State, a 65-year-old driver was intercepted along the Gombe–Biu highway with large quantities of tramadol, pentazocine injections and other opioids allegedly destined for Borno State.
The agency also confirmed the arrest of Ignatius Egbochie, alias “Brown,” a businessman wanted over a previous seizure of 26 kilogrammes of “Loud”, a potent strain of cannabis, at the Tincan Seaport, Lagos.
Meanwhile, the NDLEA said it sustained its War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) sensitisation campaigns across several states, engaging students, teachers, worshippers and community groups.
Commending the officers involved, NDLEA Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Brigadier-General Buba Marwa (Rtd), praised their vigilance and urged personnel nationwide to maintain professionalism during the festive period and beyond.
Michael Olugbode, Abuja
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