NDLEA Arrests Businessman Over Cocaine-Infused Clothing at Lagos Airport

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested a businessman at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos, for allegedly attempting to smuggle 6.10 kilograms of liquid cocaine concealed in clothing items brought into Nigeria from Brazil.

According to a statement issued by the agency’s Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, the suspect, 41-year-old Abugu Oliver Ikechukwu, was apprehended upon his arrival in Lagos on June 11, 2026. He had travelled from Brazil through Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, aboard an Ethiopian Airlines flight.

NDLEA operatives reportedly discovered 14 shirts and towels in the suspect’s luggage that had been soaked in liquid cocaine, dried, and carefully ironed to evade detection. The total weight of the narcotics recovered was put at 6.10 kilograms.

During interrogation, Ikechukwu reportedly told investigators that he had lived in Brazil for more than 14 years, where he operates an African restaurant. He claimed he travelled to Nigeria to visit his wife and purchase food items for his business abroad.

In a related development, the agency arrested two persons living with disabilities for alleged involvement in drug trafficking activities. A 60-year-old woman, Chidimma Sunday, was taken into custody in Abia State after being caught with 1.8 kilograms of skunk by a local vigilante group and handed over to NDLEA officials. In Rivers State, 28-year-old Abubakar Usman was arrested with various illicit substances, including skunk, methamphetamine, tramadol, swinol, and diazepam.

Elsewhere, NDLEA operatives in Delta State intercepted a suspect, Onya Jude, with 2.8 kilograms of Loud, a potent cannabis strain, concealed inside gas cylinders. In Gombe State, two suspected drug dealers identified as Jamilu Idris and Aminu Abdullahi were arrested with 2.738 kilograms of skunk.

The agency also recorded significant seizures in other parts of the country. In Kano State, officers arrested Ngozi Gaius with 6,000 tramadol tablets, while two suspects in Kwara State were intercepted transporting 304 kilograms of skunk concealed in a Toyota jeep.

In Taraba State, NDLEA operatives raided the warehouse of a suspected drug dealer, Ali Adamu, recovering 1,121.5 kilograms of cannabis packed in 63 jumbo bags. On the same day, officers along the Gwagwalada Expressway in Abuja arrested Emmanuel Nnadi and seized large quantities of tramadol, pregabalin, molly, and codeine syrup.

In Lagos, a separate operation led to the recovery of 1,102 kilograms of Ghana Loud, a cannabis variant, around the Alaba International Market area of Ojo.

Beyond enforcement operations, NDLEA commands across the country continued their War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) campaign through awareness programmes in schools, communities, workplaces, and traditional institutions.

Commending officers involved in the various operations, NDLEA Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Brigadier General Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), praised their commitment to reducing drug trafficking while sustaining public sensitisation efforts. He urged personnel nationwide to remain dedicated and continue improving on their achievements.