By Jimmy Fatunbi
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested a 48-year-old businessman, Nwankwo Onyebuchi, for allegedly trafficking 1.55kg of cocaine concealed in the walls and railings of his luggage at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos.
The NDLEA Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, disclosed this in a statement on Sunday.
According to Babafemi, Onyebuchi, a marble dealer in Lagos, was arrested at the departure hall of Terminal II while attempting to board a Qatar Airways flight to New Delhi, India.
He said a search of the suspect’s check-in luggage revealed 1.55kg of cocaine factory-fitted into the walls and railings of the bag.
The suspect reportedly told investigators that he had sold his marble business and other assets to raise N23 million to purchase the consignment, which he expected to sell in India for as much as N100 million.
Babafemi quoted him as saying he had disposed of his business and other properties to raise the money for the cocaine, hoping to make a substantial profit from its sale in India.
The suspect remains in NDLEA custody pending prosecution.
In another operation in Lagos, NDLEA operatives, acting on intelligence, raided a warehouse located within a residential compound at 20 Hakeem Dosumu Street, Ago Palace area of Okota.
The agency said the operation led to the recovery of 3,776 cartons containing 377,600 bottles of codeine-based syrup valued at more than N2.6 billion. The seizure was made between August 7 and 8, 2026.
The agency also reported the arrest of a 55-year-old alleged drug kingpin, Shoremi Kayode, during a raid on his residence at 37 Ogundare Street, Ipaja Estate, Lagos.
According to the NDLEA, operatives recovered 324kg of Colorado, a synthetic strain of cannabis, with an estimated street value of N972 million. A Mercedes-Benz and a Toyota Corolla were also recovered.
Across other states, the agency reported several arrests and seizures.
In Kwara State, Abubakar Adamu, 50, and Bilyaminu Nuhu, 30, were arrested on August 13 in the Kam Wire area of Ilorin. They were allegedly found with 55.96kg of skunk concealed in a truck marked DKA 350 XL.
In Oyo State, two suspects, Abdulfatai Oyelaran, 70, and Abdulrauf Ajadi, 50, were arrested along the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway on August 12. NDLEA operatives recovered 52,000 ampoules of pentazocine injection and 6,000 ampoules of tramadol injection from their Toyota Sienna vehicle.
In Delta State, Osaro Ikpoba, 43, and Samuel Godbless, 18, were intercepted along the Onitsha-Asaba Expressway on August 13. The agency said the suspects were found with 124,100 tramadol pills, 786 bottles of codeine syrup, 2,598 tablets of rohypnol, 4,800 tablets of diazepam, 470 ampoules of pentazocine injection and 200 ampoules of tramadol injection.
Another suspect, Emeka Tony, 50, was arrested along the Kwale-Ozoro Expressway on August 12 with 1,244 cartridges and N8 million in cash, according to the agency.
In Plateau State, operatives intercepted a Toyota Corolla, registration number MKD 341 EA, along the Riyom-Jos Road and recovered 239,490 capsules of Tramaforce, a brand of tramadol. A suspect, Kasum Sherif, was arrested.
In Kano State, six suspects—Okodili Ibeabuchi, 60; Onyeka Vincent, 47; Nwanko Wisdom, 36; Success Chigozie, 30; Emmanuel Jude, 27; and Chinedu Peter, 39—were arrested along the Zaria-Kano Road on August 10.
The NDLEA said 728,958 pills of tramadol, rohypnol and other opioids were recovered, alongside 360g of cocaine, 99.8g of methamphetamine, 50 bottles of codeine syrup and 2.7kg of Loud, a synthetic strain of cannabis.
The agency also raided Zawaciki Gida Dubu in Kumbotso Local Government Area of Kano on August 14, recovering 171 blocks of skunk weighing 106.8kg. Two suspects, Mustapha Iliya, 30, and Abdulwahab Abdulrashid, 24, were arrested.
In Edo State, NDLEA operatives destroyed 4,628.9775kg of skunk recovered from two cannabis farms covering 1.851591 hectares in the Ugboku/Igbanke forest of Orhionmwon Local Government Area.
A suspect, Agholor Elebojie, 40, was arrested on one of the farms during the August 12 operation.
Another suspect, Kingsley Anigala, 28, was arrested during a raid on drug joints in the Oluku area of Benin City on August 14. The agency said 25.857kg of Loud and 93g of methamphetamine were recovered from him.
Meanwhile, the NDLEA said its War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) campaign continued nationwide, with sensitisation programmes held for students and staff of Madarasatu Sheikh Muhammad Rabi’u Arabic School in Kano and Olomu Junior Secondary School in Ajah, Lagos State.
The NDLEA Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd.), commended officers and personnel of the agency’s commands in Lagos, Kano, Kwara, Edo, Plateau, Oyo and Delta for the arrests and seizures.
Marwa also praised personnel across the agency for sustaining what he described as a balance between drug supply reduction and demand reduction efforts.
