Femi Babafemi, NDLEA spokesperson, said in a statement on Sunday, that the sweeping crackdown, carried out between 17 and 22 November, led to the seizure of tonnes of illicit substances concealed in machine cylinders, automobile parts, flight boarding passes, drug-laced confectioneries and warehouses.

Babafemi said one of the major operations was conducted at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos, where officers intercepted pressure machine cylinders shipped from South Africa containing 5.40kg of methamphetamine, 10.70kg of Loud, 16g of cocaine, 200g of phenacetin, 200g of methcathinone, and 100g of caffeine.

He added that a follow-up sting in Onitsha, Anambra state, led to the arrest of electrical appliances dealer Ebulue Lotanwa Uzochukwu, 30, and South Africa returnee Christopher Michael Ndibuisi, 51.

“At the airport export terminal, officers also uncovered 48 cocaine pellets and a 2.30kg block hidden inside a brake servo auto part headed for Gabon,” he said.

“This led to the arrest of freight agent Ameh Solomon and auto-parts dealer Nwafor Tochukwu Boniface.”

In Kogi state, Babafemi said officials intercepted a trailer ferrying 4,700kg of skunk in Kabba, noting that three escorts on the truck were arrested, while the alleged kingpin, Marcus Danladi Dan Mangu, was later tracked down in Jos, Plateau state.

He said a raid on a warehouse in Ugep, Cross River, led to the arrest of a couple — Onun Okoi Okpotum and Itam Okoi Okpotum — and the recovery of 4,706kg of skunk packed in 362 jumbo bags.

He added that the agency also broke up an online drug-edibles ring in Edo state, arresting two women — Praise Nwogu, 19, and Ebong Emem Oghosa, 25 — for producing and selling drug-laced brownies. Officers recovered brownies, Colorado, and 76g of skunk. In Akoko Edo LGA, Shedrack Aminu was arrested with 59kg of skunk.

“A checkpoint operation along the Enugu–Onitsha highway produced another major haul: 10.1kg of skunk, 105,600 tramadol pills, 700 pentazocine ampoules, and 3,000 rounds of ammunition, all in the possession of 24-year-old Chinoso Emmanuel Monday,” he said.

In Kebbi state, operatives evacuated 13,155 bottles of codeine syrup from a warehouse in Dole-Kaina. A 23-year-old courier, Umar Adamu, was also arrested with 12,548 opioid pills hidden in paracetamol containers and allegedly destined for a Boko Haram enclave in Borno.

More arrests followed on major transit corridors, including the Abuja expressway, Niger State, and Lekki, Lagos, where NDLEA seized 71kg of Canadian Loud and 2.6kg of Colorado concealed in branded tins and flight boarding cards.

Babafemi said Buba Marwa, NDLEA chairman, commended the officers and warned that drug cartels typically become more active ahead of the festive season.

“The coming weeks present both an opportunity and a challenge. We must not, and we will not, let down our guard,” Marwa said.

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Femi Babafemi, NDLEA spokesperson, said in a statement on Sunday that 46-year-old Ofoma was arrested on September 16 at terminal 2 of the Lagos airport upon his arrival from Laos, Brazil, on an Ethiopian Airlines flight.

Babafemi said the suspect was taken for a body scan, which confirmed ingestion of illicit drugs. Ofoma had left Nigeria for Brazil on 3rd September to courier the consignment to Lagos for a reward of $2,500 upon successful delivery.

He said a swift follow-up operation was conducted at Eliata Hotel in the Amuwo Odofin area of Lagos, where Ofoma was instructed to meet Nweke Jude Chuckwudi, who was designated to oversee the excretion of the drugs at the hotel and recover them.

“The 55-year-old Nweke was arrested in the process. A total of 111 wraps of heroin weighing 1.452 kilograms were egested in eight excretions by Ofoma,” the statement reads.

“Similarly, another Brazil returnee, Ukachukwu Frank Ikechukwu, was arrested at the Lagos airport during the inward clearance of Ethiopian Airlines passengers from Brazil via Addis Ababa on Friday 19th September.

“He was taken for a body scan, which confirmed illicit drug insertion. Under excretion observation, Ukachukwu expelled five big wraps of cocaine weighing 145 grams.

“In his statement, he confessed to having bought nine wraps of the class A drug in Brazil and inserted all into his anus, a process he claimed took him nearly two hours.

“During his transit through Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, he said he began to experience severe anal pain and decided to remove the wraps from his body.

“He stated that in an attempt to meet up with his connecting flight to Nigeria, he could only manage to reinsert seven wraps, after which he flushed the remaining two wraps in a toilet.

“The suspect revealed that while on board his flight to Nigeria, he felt pressed and uncomfortable, which compelled him to use the lavatory.

“During the process, he expelled an additional two wraps, leaving him with only five wraps in his anus.

“He claimed to have been in the clothing business before travelling to Brazil in 2017. In 2020, he moved to the United States, where he was arrested for an immigration offence and was detained for over a year before being deported to Nigeria in 2022.

“In March 2025, he returned to Brazil, where he currently works, having already obtained a Brazilian residence permit.”

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Femi Babafemi, spokesperson of the NDLEA, said in a statement issued on Sunday that Adekoya Mary, a  makeup artist, who was allegedly travelling to India for a fibroid operation was arrested on June 16 following credible intelligence.

Babafemi said the suspect kept under observation and permitted to check in her bags before being arrested at the boarding gate of her Qatar Airways to India via Doha.

He noted that two sizable parcels of cocaine factory-fitted into the walls of her bag were discovered by operatives upon investigation.

The NDLEA spokesperson added that the suspect confessed to embarking on the trip under the guise of seeking medical attention but was motivated by financial incentives.

“Further investigation revealed the suspect was recruited and funded by a drug baron currently at large, Akeem Ayinde Adekanbi who owns Rockford Hotel located in Sango area of Ogun state while he lives at Igbe Laara in Igbogbo area of Ikorodu, Lagos state”, the statement reads.

Babafemi said NDLEA operatives of the directorate of operations and general investigation also intercepted a shipment of sewn female dresses containing 1.3kg of loud, a strong strain of cannabis, going to Bahrain at a courier company in Lagos on June 19.

He said that at another courier firm the previous day, on June 19, operatives uncovered 850 grams of cocaine concealed in cloth hangers heading to Australia.

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A statement released on Sunday by Femi Babafemi, NDLEA spokesperson, said the cocaine consignment, consisting 20 parcels weighing 500 grams and buried in the pages of the religious books, were uncovered at a courier company in Lagos

He said operatives of the agency found the illicit drugs in an export cargos going to Saudi Arabia at the logistics firm.

Babafemi  added that NDLEA officers also seized five parcels of loud, a strong strain of cannabis weighing 2.8 kilograms, hidden in a carton coming from the United States of America.

He said NDLEA agents on patrol along the Bichi-Kano route arrested Muhammad Mohammed, a 22-year-old bandit supplying illegal drugs, while travelling to Katsina with 277 ampoules of pentazocine injection strapped to his thigh and private area with Sellotape.

He was apprehended on April 13, and Mohammed Abdulrahman Abdulaziz, 43, another suspect, was apprehended thr same day in the Research Rimin Kebe neighbourhood of Nasarawa, Kano, with 30 kg of skunk, a cannabis strain, and 68 blocks of skunk.

“Not less than 557.2kg of skunk, 5.6kg of methamphetamine and 29.8 grams of heroin were recovered from a house along Major General Isaiah Allison Street, Opolo, Yenagoa, Bayelsa state, where four suspects were arrested when NDLEA operatives raided the premises on Wednesday, 16th April,” the statement reads.

“During the operation, four individuals were taken into custody: Fidelis Ugbesla, 46; Sarimiye Tare Paul, 45; Roland Prosper, 34; and Sarimiye Suwa Kurtis, 46.

“The NDLEA also recorded other successful operations, which include the seizures of illicit drugs and the arrest of drug peddlers in Lagos, Kebbi, Anambra and Edo states.

“The agency’s social advocacy activities and the War Against Drug Abuse continue to sensitise students in schools, motor parks and markets across the country.

“The Chairman of NDLEA, Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), however, commended the efforts of officers in ensuring a fair balance between their drug supply reduction and drug demand reduction efforts.”

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Femi Babafemi, the NDLEA spokesperson, said in a statement on Sunday, that Mbadugha was arrested after he tested positive to ingestion of cocaine.

Babafemi said the 54-year-old suspect was intercepted at the boarding gate of the Abuja airport on August 12 during the outward clearance of Qatar Airways flight QR 1432 to Hanoi, Vietnam via Doha.

“After four days under excretion observation, Mbadugha egested a total of 88 wraps of the illicit drug with a gross weight of 1.710 kilograms,” the statement reads.

“In his statement, he claimed he’s a Lagos based businessman and was given the cocaine pellets to swallow by a friend at Isolo area of the state for onward delivery in Vietnam for a fee of $2,000.”

Babafemi added that NDLEA officers at the export shed of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos also intercepted a shipment of loud, a synthetic strain of cannabis weighing 800 grams concealed in noodles going to Congo.

“A follow up operation at the Alaba International market, Ojo area of Lagos led to the arrest of the sender of the consignment, Nnamani Sunday Sunny, who deals in GSM handsets,” he said.

“Meanwhile, a large consignment of Loud imported from Canada have been recovered by NDLEA operatives at the Lagos airport.

“A suspect, Desalu Taophic Temitope, who arrived on board an Air France flight with six boxes was arrested by anti-narcotic officers during a joint examination by security agencies at the arrival hall.

“A total of 65.80 kilograms of the psychoactive substance were recovered from four of the six suitcases.

“In his statement, Desalu said he and an accomplice currently at large were promised $10,000 upon successful delivery of the shipment in Lagos.”

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