VIDEO: NDLEA intercepts lipsticks concealing illicit drugs at Lagos airport

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) says its operatives have intercepted parcels of loud, a strong strain of cannabis concealed in microwaves imported from Thailand and wraps of cocaine built into ladies’ lipsticks going to Guinea at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos.

In a statement issued on Sunday, Femi Babafemi, NDLEA spokesperson, said the Loud consignment was part of a consolidated cargo that came in two tranches on an Ethiopian Airlines flight from Bangkok, Thailand through Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

“Based on credible intelligence, the cargo was subjected to thorough search during which 23 parcels of loud weighing 11.3kg concealed in new microwaves were recovered on Monday 7th July 2025,” the statement reads.

“A suspect Ezenwegbu Chike has been arrested in connection with the seizure.

“Barely a week after a total of 420grams of cocaine factory fitted in 84 pieces of female lipsticks heading to the UK were seized at a courier company in Lagos, NDLEA operatives at the export shed of the Lagos airport have intercepted another consignment of cocaine built into ladies’ lipsticks as part of a cargo containing hair attachments, face powder, and other items heading to Malabo, Guinea.

“No less than 400grams of cocaine and phenacetine, a cutting agent, were recovered from the lipsticks when dismantled while a businessman at the Trade Fair Complex, Ojo area of Lagos, Ezeikwelume Prince Afam was arrested on Friday 11th July in connection with the seizure.”

Babafemi said a notorious drug kingpin Okechukwu Izugha (a.k.a Okey Omeogo) has been arrested in Lagos by operatives of a special operations Unit of NDLEA after 12 months of going into hiding.

He said Izugha was nabbed on July 9 at his wife’s shop in Ijesha market.

“Izugha came under NDLEA radar on 7th August 2024 after a 9kg cocaine was recovered from a suspect Obiora Joseph Agudosi at a motor park in Orile, Lagos while going to deliver the consignment in the southeast,” he said.

“Izugha was identified as the owner of the seized drug. In the course of investigating the kingpin and his network, his wife Maureen Izugha was arrested with 500grams of cocaine at her beverages store in Ijesha market on 21st January 2025.

“She was thereafter arraigned in court, convicted and sentenced to two years imprisonment. Unknown to him that NDLEA was still on his trail, the wanted kingpin came out of his hiding and was promptly arrested last Wednesday.

“In Edo state, no fewer than 28,054.053 kilograms of skunk, a local strain of cannabis, were destroyed on three farms measuring over 11 hectares at Ewere Uzebba forest in Owan West local government area on Tuesday 8th July, while 82kg of already processed cannabis was recovered from the location.

“The NDLEA operatives who went for the operation however came under gun attack from armed members of the cartel on their way out of the forest.

“They were able to repel the attack and came out unhurt while one of their operational vehicles was riddled with bullets.

“In Lagos, 1,400 compressed blocks of Ghana Loud, a strain of cannabis, weighing 700kg and a Ford delivery truck marked JJJ 698 YJ were recovered at Okun -Ajah Beach, while two suspects: Innocent Ejidiobo and Friday Paul were nabbed along Ajah -Epe expressway by NDLEA operatives on Friday 11th July.

“Recovered from them include: 26kg Ghana Loud, 123grams of methamphetamine and 45grams of Molly as well as their delivery van with registration number AJK 191 LG.

“While NDLEA operatives in Borno state on Saturday 12th July arrested Godwin Chimaobi Nwaobi, 42, with 18,759 ampoules of pentazocine, pills of tramadol and rohypnol at Njimtilo, Maiduguri, coming on the heels of the seizure of 10,000 pills of tramadol from another suspect Abdulrahman Bello Ahmadu, 34, on Wednesday 9th July, their counterparts in Gombe state recovered a total of 116,226 pills of tramadol and D-5 from five suspects: Hafiz Bello, 22; Isah Suleman, 48; Kabiru Muhammed, 30; Abdullahi Adamu, 30; and Abel Murna, 25, at Gombe main market and along Gombe-Kano road on Tuesday 8th and Saturday 12th July.

“A suspect, Sabiu Bala was on Thursday 10th July arrested along Okene-Lokoja expressway in Kogi state while conveying 316.600kg skunk, while another suspect Haladu Suleiman, 38, was nabbed by NDLEA operatives with 58.805kg of same substance in Gubuchi area of Ikara LGA, Kaduna state.”