NDLEA intercepts 70 parcels of cocaine at Lagos airport enroute UK

By Omodele Adigun

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has intercepted 70 parcels of cocaine concealed in body cream containers at the Lagos airport while being exported to the United Kingdom.

Femi Babafemi, the NDLEA Director of Media & Advocacy, disclosed this in a statement on Sunday.

The statement said the consignments, weighing 3.60 kilograms, were discovered during examination of cargoes packaged as personal effects on an Air Peace flight bound for London on Oct. 14, 2025.

It said a cargo agent, Lawal Mustapha Olakunle, was promptly arrested, while investigations led to the arrest of two principal suspects linked to the attempt.

“In a follow up operation on 18th October, a female healthcare worker Ogunmuyide Taiwo Deborah was arrested following which Mutiu Adebayo Adebiyi, the Chief Executive Officer of a travel agency, Mutiu Adebiyi & Co, was arrested at his 23 Ladoke Akintola Street, Ikeja GRA Lagos office on Monday 20th October.

“In a similar development, attempt by a 35-year-old Lesotho national Lemena Mark to export 103.59 grams of methamphetamine concealed in a diabeta herbs coffee tea pack to the Philippines on an Ethiopian airlines flight from the Akanu Ibiam International Airport (AIIA) Enugu on Wednesday 22nd October was thwarted by NDLEA officers who arrested him and recovered the illicit drug,” the statement noted.

The statement said the NDLEA also intercepted 21,950 capsules of tramadol 250mg hidden inside a 100-litre water heater in Kwara State.

It said the suspect, Umar Abubakar, 40, was arrested on October 21 at Bode Saadu, Moro Local Government Area of the state following credible intelligence.

The NDLEA said it had also arrested two suspects, Auwal Musa, 26, and Salihu Bala, 22, on October 21 with 450,000 pills of tramadol and Exol-5 at the Dan-anacha checkpoint in Taraba State.

It said the drugs were intercepted while being conveyed in a truck loaded with building materials from Onitsha, Anambra State, to Mubi, Adamawa State.

NDLEA operatives have also seized 162.2kg of skunk, a strain of cannabis, from a truck along the Okene/Lokoja highway in Kogi State on October 24..

Another 128kg of the same substance was recovered from a suspect, Abubakar Muhammad, 55, in Keffi, Nasarawa State, on October 22.

The NDLEA operatives in Lagos have arrested Oyonumoh Glory Effiong, a mother of two, described as a major distributor of Loud across Lekki, Ikoyi, Victoria Island, Ajah, and VGC, during a raid at her Lekki was arrested home where 500 grams of the substance were recovered.

In another operation in Lagos, NDLEA operatives raided the home of a suspect, Ogunyabo Adenigbigbe, at Solomade Estate, Ikorodu, where 275 litres of skuchies,  a cocktail of blackcurrant drink, cannabis, and opioids,  were recovered.

The NDLEA operatives in Abia State, have also arrested a 75-year-old grandfather, Echendu Onuoka, with 4.7kg of skunk at Ovum village, Obingwa Local Government Area of the statetate, while a 60-year-old woman, Aukana John, was arrested with 225 grams of the same substance at Apanta village in the same area.

In Ondo State, operatives recovered 150kg of skunk during a raid at Lot Camp, Ikun Akoko, while two suspects, Bashir Mohammad, 50, and Samini Ahmed Tijjani, 35, were arrested with 234.5kg of the drug in Kaduna State.

Another set of suspects, Isah Usman, 50, and Salvation Okoler, 18, were arrested with 8,600 pills of tramadol 225mg and rohypnol along the Abuja/Kaduna highway.

At the Seme border area of Lagos, Jacob Ojugbele was arrested with 55kg of skunk at Ashipa, Badagry, while Amusa Oluwabukola was caught with 121.3 litres of skuchies at Itoga, Badagry.