The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) says it has recovered 70 parcels of cocaine factory packed in walls of cocoa butter formula body cream containers heading to London, United Kingdom.
The agency said the cocaine parcels were recovered at the export shed of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) Ikeja – Lagos, by operatives.
Three suspects have been arrested in connection with the seizures in series of follow-up operations across Lagos.
Spokesman of the agency, Femi Babafemi,confirmed this in a statement in Abuja on Sunday.
According to him, the cocaine consignments weighing 3.60 kilograms were discovered on 14th October 2025 during examination of cargoes packaged as personal effects going to London, UK on an Air Peace flight.
“A cargo agent, Lawal Mustapha Olakunle who presented the consignment for airfreight was promptly arrested while investigations stretching into two weeks led to the arrest of two principal suspects linked to the attempt to export the concealed Class A drug to the UK.
“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,” the statement said.
In a similar development, the NDLEA said 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 officers who arrested him and recovered the illicit drug.
Babafemi also explained that no fewer than 21,950 capsules of tramadol 250mg concealed inside a 100-litre water heater were recovered from a suspect, Umar Abubakar, 40, who was arrested by NDLEA operatives at Bode Saadu, Morro Local Government area of Kwara state following credible intelligence on Tuesday 21st October.
“In Lagos, NDLEA operatives in the early hours of Sunday, 26th October raided Proxy Night club at 7 Akin Adesola Street, Victoria Island where a drug party was going on.
“Over 100 suspects including the owner of the club Mike Eze Nwalie Nwogu alias Pretty Mike, were arrested and taken into custody for screening.
“Cartons of illicit substances including Loud, and laughing gas, were recovered from suspects at the party and the club’s store.
“The raid followed intelligence about the drug party.
“NDLEA operatives who were embedded in the party between 11pm on Saturday, 25th October, however, disrupted the gathering at 3am on Sunday 26th October based on Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs).
“In Taraba, the duo of Auwal Musa, 26, and Salihu Bala, 22, were on Tuesday, 21st October arrested with 450,000 pills of tramadol and exol-5 at Dan-anacha checkpoint while conveying the consignment in a truck loaded with building materials from Onitsha, Anambra State to Mubi, Adamawa State.
“While NDLEA officers on patrol along Okene/Lokoja highway, Kogi State seized 162.200kg skunk, a strain of cannabis, from a truck on Friday 24th October, operatives in Nasarawa State on Wednesday 22nd October recovered 128kg of same psychoactive substance from a suspect, Abubakar Muhammad, 55, in Keffi area of the state.
“A mother of two Oyonumoh Glory Effiong who is a major distributor of Canadian and California Loud, both strong strains of cannabis in Lekki, Ajah, Ikoyi, Victoria Island and VGC areas of Lagos have been arrested by NDLEA operatives on Friday 17th October during a raid at her Lekki home where 500 grams of the illicit substances were recovered.
“In Ikorodu area of Lagos, NDLEA officers on Thursday 23rd October raided the home of a suspect Ogunyabo Adenigbigbe at Solomade estate where 275 litres of skuchies, a new psychoactive substance produced with black currant drink, cannabis and opioids, were recovered.
“A 75-year-old grandpa, Echendu Onuoka was on Wednesday 22nd October arrested at Ovum village, Obingwa LGA, Abia State with 4.7kg skunk seized from him while a 60-year-old grandma Aukana John was nabbed with 225 grams of same substance at Apanta village, in the same LGA.
“While 150kg skunk was recovered during a raid operation at Lot camp, Ikun Akoko, Ondo State, two suspects: Bashir Mohammad, 50, and Samini Ahmed Tijjani, 35, were nabbed with 234.5kg of same substance at Yan aya , Saminaka in Lere LGA, Kaduna on Friday, 24th October just as another set of suspects: Isah Usman, 50, and Salvation Okoler, 18, were arrested with 8,600 pills of tramadol 225mg and rohypnol along Abuja/Kaduna highway.
“At the Seme border area of Lagos, NDLEA operatives on Wednesday 22nd October nabbed Jacob Ojugbele with 55kg skunk at Ashipa area of Badagry while Amusa Oluwabukola was arrested with 121.3 litres of skuchies at Itoga Badagry.
“In Zamfara State, NDLEA operatives on patrol along Gummi-Anka road on Monday 20th October arrested a suspect Abubakar Ibrahim, 30, in possession of AK 47 riffle and 1,746 assorted calibres of ammunition, for AK 47 and GPMG rifles while moving them from Sokoto to Bagega forest, Anka LGA, Zamfara.
“Both the suspect and the exhibits have since been handed over to the appropriate security agency for further investigation,” Babafemi explained.
The statement said the various commands and formations of the agency across the country also intensified their War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) sensitization activities during the werk under review.
It said that the sensitization activities were taken to schools, worship centres, work places and communities among others in the past week.
“These include: WADA sensitization lecture to students and staff of Asabari Grammar School, Iluwa Isale Oke, Saki West LGA, Oyo; Government Day Girls Secondary School, Birnin Kebbi, Kebbi; St. Mark’s College, Nsude, Enugu; Kusaki Secondary School, Gboko North, Benue; Government Day Secondary School, Serti- Baruwa, Gashaka LGA, Taraba; Police Children School 2, Port Harcourt, Rivers and Hajara Ahmad International School, Tudun Wada, Kano state, among others,” Babafemi said.
In his reaction, the Chairman/CEO of NDLEA, retired Brig.-Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa
commended officers and men of MMIA, AIIA, Lagos, Kwara, Abia, Nasarawa, Kogi, Ondo, Anambra, Taraba, Kaduna, Seme and Zamfara Commands for the arrests, and seizures.
Marwa, then urged them and their colleagues across the country to continue with the ongoing balanced approach to the drug control efforts of the Agency.
(vitalnewsngr.com)
