Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have arrested a Brazil-based Nigerian businessman at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, after discovering shirts and towels allegedly soaked in liquid cocaine concealed in his luggage.
The arrest formed part of a nationwide anti-drug operation that led to the seizure of more than two tonnes of illicit substances and the arrest of several suspected traffickers across different states.
The suspect, identified as 41-year-old Abugu Ikechukwu, was apprehended upon arrival from São Paulo, Brazil, via Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on an Ethiopian Airlines flight.
According to a statement issued on Sunday by the NDLEA’s Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, a thorough search of the suspect’s luggage uncovered 14 shirts and towels allegedly impregnated with liquid cocaine, dried and carefully ironed to avoid detection by security agencies.
Babafemi said forensic analysis confirmed that the concealed narcotics weighed 6.1 kilogrammes.
During interrogation, the suspect reportedly told investigators that he had lived in Brazil for over 14 years, where he operates an African restaurant. He said he travelled to Nigeria to visit family members and purchase food items for his business abroad.
The airport arrest was among several major operations carried out by the agency across the country in recent days.
In Abia State, NDLEA operatives arrested a 60-year-old woman, Chidimma Sunday, who was allegedly found in possession of 1.8 kilogrammes of skunk, a strain of cannabis.
Similarly, in Rivers State, a 28-year-old suspect, Abubakar Usman, was arrested with quantities of cannabis, methamphetamine, tramadol, diazepam, and other controlled substances.
The agency noted that both suspects are persons living with disabilities.
In Taraba State, operatives raided the warehouse of a suspected drug kingpin, Ali Adamu, in Maihula village, Bali Local Government Area, where they recovered 63 jumbo bags of cannabis sativa weighing 1,121.5 kilogrammes.
Another major seizure occurred in Lagos, where NDLEA officers recovered 1,102 kilogrammes of “Ghana Loud,” a potent strain of cannabis, around the Alaba International Market area of Ojo.
In Kwara State, operatives intercepted a Toyota vehicle along the Bode Saadu Road and recovered 304 kilogrammes of compressed cannabis blocks concealed inside the vehicle. Two suspects, Nasiru Hamza and Muhammad Sani, were arrested in connection with the consignment.
In the Federal Capital Territory, officers on patrol along the Gwagwalada Expressway arrested Emmanuel Nnadi and recovered large quantities of tramadol, pregabalin and ecstasy pills, as well as hundreds of bottles of codeine-based cough syrup.
Additional operations conducted in Delta, Gombe and Kano states resulted in the arrest of more suspects and the seizure of cannabis and various pharmaceutical opioids.
Beyond enforcement activities, the NDLEA said it continued its nationwide War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) campaign through sensitisation and awareness programmes in schools, communities and traditional institutions across several states.
NDLEA Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Brigadier General Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd.), commended officers and operatives involved in the operations, describing the arrests and seizures as evidence of the agency’s sustained efforts to curb drug trafficking and abuse.
He urged commands nationwide to maintain the momentum in reducing the supply of illicit drugs while intensifying public enlightenment campaigns aimed at preventing substance abuse.
