The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has recorded a series of major breakthroughs in its ongoing war against illicit drug trafficking, intercepting cocaine and cannabis shipments concealed in food containers and snack packs, while arresting several suspects, including a Lagos-based fashion designer.
According to the Agency, operatives attached to the export shed of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Ikeja, Lagos, intercepted 12 large parcels of cocaine hidden inside specially modified food flasks destined for the United Kingdom through a Virgin Atlantic flight.
The seized cocaine weighed approximately 2.80 kilograms. The operation led to the immediate arrest of two cargo agents, Ama Obinna Ufeim, 33, and Ogabi Monday Akorede, 39. Further investigations identified a 52-year-old freight forwarding agent, Agoro Tajudeen Moninuola, as the sender of the consignment, leading to his subsequent arrest.
In a related development, NDLEA operatives at the import section of the Lagos airport intercepted 2.90 kilograms of Loud, a potent strain of cannabis, concealed in snack food packages imported from the United States aboard a Delta Airlines flight.
The seizure initially resulted in the arrest of cargo clearing agents Animashaun Moshood Adetunji and Mercy Gabriel Oluwasegun. Further investigations led operatives to the consignee, Saheed Adeshina Adegoke, a 29-year-old fashion designer, who was arrested at his residence along Oba Ogunji Road in Ogba, Lagos.
Massive Cannabis Seizures Across States
The Agency also intensified its operations across several states, resulting in significant seizures and arrests.
In Kaduna State, NDLEA officers on patrol along the Kaduna-Zaria Highway intercepted a trailer transporting cement to Hadeja, Jigawa State. A thorough search of the vehicle uncovered 760 blocks and 33 jumbo bags of skunk, a strain of cannabis, weighing a total of 847 kilograms. The truck driver, Umar Garba Haruna, 33, was taken into custody.
In Cross River State, a joint operation involving NDLEA personnel and military support led to the arrest of 53-year-old Alice Sunday Udoh during a raid on a cannabis plantation in Uwet Community, Akamkpa Local Government Area. During the operation, approximately 15,000 kilograms of cannabis cultivated on six hectares of farmland were destroyed, while an additional 119 kilograms were recovered.
Similarly, NDLEA operatives raided a cannabis farm at Saboro Camp in Ovia North East Local Government Area of Edo State, where over 2,281 kilograms of the illicit substance were destroyed. Three suspects—Nweke Smart, 27; Christopher Egbe, 62; and Monday Ayan, 45—were arrested during the operation. Authorities also recovered cannabis seeds and processed substances from the suspects.
In Delta State, two suspects, Sunday Odili, 49, and Ijenebe Joshua, 39, were apprehended with 87.838 kilograms of skunk and cannabis seeds at the Powerline area of Okwo.
Drug Trafficking Network Busted in Lagos
Further operations in Lagos resulted in the arrest of Chinedu Ogbekene and Zindozin Aloukou Bienvenu along the Lagos-Badagry Expressway. The suspects were allegedly transporting 11,900 capsules of tramadol and 400 ampoules of phenobarbital injections in a truck destined for Ghana.
On the same day, NDLEA operatives raided a two-storey building in the Petti area of Lagos Island, where 95.8 kilograms of skunk were recovered.
NDLEA Sustains Anti-Drug Awareness Campaign
Beyond enforcement activities, the Agency continues to expand its War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) sensitization programme in schools and communities across the country. Recent awareness campaigns were conducted at several institutions, including Edgerly Memorial Girls Secondary School in Calabar, Heritage Model School in Ankpa, Government Day Junior and Senior Secondary School in Kankia, Government Senior Secondary School in Rano, and De Ambassador Secondary School in Epe, among others.
Commending officers and personnel from the MMIA, Lagos, Kaduna, Edo, Delta, and Cross River Commands for their dedication and professionalism, NDLEA Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Brigadier General Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), praised their efforts in reducing the supply of illicit drugs while simultaneously promoting preventive education through community outreach initiatives.
He urged officers across the country to sustain the momentum in the fight against drug trafficking and abuse, emphasizing the Agency’s commitment to safeguarding Nigerian communities from the dangers associated with illicit substances.
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