The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) says its operatives have intercepted consignments of cocaine and tramadol concealed in 71 vehicle side mirrors being sent to Libreville, Gabon, through the export shed of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) in Ikeja, Lagos.
In a statement on Sunday, Femi Babafemi, NDLEA spokesperson, said three suspects linked to the cargo were arrested in follow-up operations.
“The first batch of the consignment, consisting of 57,420 pills of 225 mg tramadol and 57 pellets of cocaine weighing 1.60 kg, was intercepted in a cargo going to Gabon on Air Côte d’Ivoire on Saturday, 19th July 2025,” the statement reads.
“A popular cargo agent, Ihekweme Osinachi Benedict, handling the shipment was immediately arrested, after which further investigation led to the arrest of another suspect, Uzochukwu Godspower Chukwurah, on Sunday, 20th July.
Eleven parcels of cocaine with a total weight of 1 kg were later recovered from four additional side mirrors being prepared for export found in the home of Uzochukwu on Monday, 21st July, bringing the total number of parcels of cocaine to 68, weighing 2.60 kilograms.”
Babafemi said operatives also arrested a businesswoman, Nwafor Roseann Nneka, at her shop within the Trade Fair Complex, Ojo, Lagos, following the interception of 100 grams of cocaine and 300 grams of phenacetine, a cutting agent, concealed in ladies’ lipsticks going to Malabo, Equatorial Guinea.
“Two cargo agents linked to the shipment were arrested earlier before the eventual arrest of Nneka, who runs the criminal trade as a family business with her husband, Remigus Nwafor, currently on the run,” he said.
“In her statement, Mrs. Nwafor admitted she bought the lipsticks used to conceal the illicit drugs while her husband handled the actual concealment.
“In Abuja, the nation’s Federal Capital Territory, NDLEA operatives conducting intelligence-led stop and search operations in the Gwarimpa, Jahi, and Galadimawa areas of the FCT on Wednesday, 30th July, arrested three dispatch riders: Sabo Sule, 24; Samuel Nnamdi, 28; and Idris Jibrin, 28, for distributing illicit substances around the city. A total of 149.8 grams of Canadian Loud, a strong strain of cannabis, were recovered from them. Two other suspects:
“Aliyu Abubakar, 25, and Adekunle Agbabiaka, 30, were arrested along the Abaji-Gwagwalada motorway with 91.1 kg of skunk, a strain of cannabis, on Saturday, 2nd August.
“In Lagos, NDLEA officers acting on intelligence on Saturday, 2nd August, arrested Joseph Michael with 3.3 kilograms of Colorado, a synthetic strain of cannabis, in Mushin, while Ibrahim Sulaiman was nabbed in the Iwaya area of Yaba with 16.5 litres of skuchies on Friday, 1st August.
“No fewer than 100,000 pills of tramadol capsules were seized from a suspect, Hussein Yusuf, 37, at an NDLEA checkpoint along Vandeikya-Ogoja road in Benue state on Friday, 1st August, while operatives in Edo state same day raided a warehouse in Ekpoma where a suspect, William Alabi, 44, was arrested and 233.5 kg of skunk was recovered.
“In Borno state, NDLEA operatives at the arrival hall of the Muhammadu Buhari International Airport (MBIAM) Maiduguri on Friday, 1st August, intercepted a consignment of 160 pills of tramadol concealed in footwear by a 38-year-old passenger, Umar Aminu, who was promptly arrested.
“While NDLEA operatives in Ogun state on Friday, 1st August, raided the Oja Odan area and arrested a female suspect, Yahaya Aminat Seyi, with 7,218 pills of opioids, mainly tramadol, their counterparts in Oyo state nabbed Oladeji Saka, 54, with 77.5 kilograms of skunk at Asanike, Ibadan, just as another suspect, Benson Izah, 40, was arrested in Abraka, Delta state.
