Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have intercepted a consignment of cocaine concealed in food flasks at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Ikeja, Lagos, as part of a series of coordinated operations that led to arrests and drug seizures across the country.
The illicit cargo, weighing 2.80 kilograms, was hidden in the false compartments of food flasks intended for export to the United Kingdom on a Virgin Atlantic flight. The seizure was made on April 9, 2026, at the airport’s export section.
Two cargo handlers, Ama Obinna Ufeim (33) and Ogabi Monday Akorede (39), were arrested in connection with the shipment. Further investigations led to the arrest of the alleged sender, 52-year-old freight forwarder Agoro Tajudeen Moninuola.
In a separate operation at the airport’s import section, NDLEA officials intercepted 2.90 kilograms of “Loud,” a strong strain of cannabis, concealed in snack packs arriving from the United States on a Delta Airlines flight. Two clearing agents, Animashaun Moshood Adetunji and Mercy Gabriel Oluwasegun, were initially apprehended, while the consignee, 29-year-old fashion designer Saheed Adeshina Adegoke, was later arrested at his residence in Ogba, Lagos.
In Kaduna State, operatives stopped a cement-laden trailer along the Kaduna-Zaria highway and discovered 847 kilograms of skunk hidden inside. The driver, Umar Garba Haruna (33), was taken into custody.
Meanwhile, in Cross River State, NDLEA officers, supported by military personnel, raided a forest in Uwet community, Akamkpa Local Government Area, arresting 53-year-old Alice Sunday Udoh. During the operation, about 15,000 kilograms of cultivated skunk were destroyed, while 119 kilograms were recovered.
Further raids across the country yielded more seizures. In Edo State, operatives dismantled a cannabis farm in Ovia North-East LGA, destroying over 2,281 kilograms of the substance. Three suspects—Nweke Smart (27), Christopher Egbe (62), and Monday Ayan (45)—were arrested, with additional quantities recovered.
In Delta State, two individuals, Sunday Odili (49) and Ijenebe Joshua (39), were apprehended with 87.838 kilograms of skunk and cannabis seeds.
Back in Lagos, NDLEA operatives arrested Chinedu Ogbekene and Zindozin Aloukou Bienvenu along the Mile 2–Badagry Expressway while transporting 11,900 capsules of tramadol and 400 ampoules of phenobarbital injection to Ghana. Another raid on Lagos Island led to the recovery of 95.8 kilograms of skunk from a residential building.
Beyond enforcement, the agency intensified its War Against Drug Abuse campaign through awareness programmes in schools and communities across Niger, Cross River, Kogi, Katsina, Kano, and Lagos states.
NDLEA Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Mohamed Buba Marwa, commended officers for their efforts, highlighting the agency’s dual focus on reducing drug supply and increasing public awareness. He urged personnel to maintain the momentum in tackling drug trafficking and abuse nationwide.
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