Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have intercepted cocaine concealed in food flasks bound for the United Kingdom at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, arresting three suspects linked to the trafficking attempt.
The illicit consignment, comprising 12 large parcels of cocaine weighing 2.80 kilograms, was uncovered on Thursday, April 9, 2026, at the export shed of the Lagos airport.
In a statement on Sunday by NDLEA’s Director of Media and Advocacy, two cargo agents, Ama Obinna Ufeim, 33, and Ogabi Monday Akorede, 39, were initially apprehended, while a 52-year-old freight forwarder, Agoro Tajudeen Moninuola, identified as the sender, was arrested in a follow-up operation.
In a related development, NDLEA operatives at the import shed of the airport intercepted another consignment of “Loud,” a potent strain of cannabis, weighing 2.90 kilograms. The drugs, concealed in snack packs, had arrived from the United States aboard a Delta Airlines flight.
Two cargo clearing agents, Animashaun Moshood Adetunji and Mercy Gabriel Oluwasegun, were first arrested in connection with the seizure, while the consignee, Saheed Adeshina Adegoke, a 29-year-old fashion designer, was later tracked and arrested at his residence in Ogba, Lagos.
Beyond Lagos, NDLEA operatives recorded major seizures across several states. In Kaduna, officers on patrol along the Kaduna–Zaria highway intercepted a truck conveying cement, within which 760 blocks and 33 jumbo bags of skunk weighing 847 kilograms were discovered. The driver, Umar Garba Haruna, 33, was arrested.
In Cross River State, a 53-year-old woman, Alice Sunday Udoh, was apprehended during a raid on a forest in Uwet community, Akamkpa Local Government Area. The operation led to the destruction of 15,000 kilograms of skunk cultivated on six hectares of farmland, with an additional 119 kilograms recovered.
Similarly, operatives in Edo State raided a cannabis farm at Saboro camp in Ovia North East LGA, destroying 2,281.43 kilograms of the substance and arresting three suspects: Nweke Smart, 27; Christopher Egbe, 62; and Monday Ayan, 45. Additional arrests were made in Delta State, where 87.838 kilograms of skunk and seeds were recovered from two suspects in the Okwo area.
Back in Lagos, NDLEA operatives intercepted 11,900 capsules of tramadol and 400 ampoules of phenobarbital injection along the Lagos–Badagry expressway, with two suspects arrested while attempting to transport the drugs to Ghana. A separate raid on a two-storey building in Lagos Island also yielded 95.8 kilograms of skunk.
The Agency also sustained its War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) sensitisation campaign across the country, conducting awareness programmes in schools and communities in Niger, Cross River, Kogi, Katsina, Kano, and Lagos states.
Commending the officers involved in the operations, NDLEA spokesman, Femi Babafemi, said the successes reflect the agency’s sustained offensive against drug trafficking networks.
“These seizures and arrests underscore our unwavering commitment to dismantling drug trafficking cartels and safeguarding public health,” he stated.
Babafemi added that the balance between enforcement and preventive education remains central to the agency’s strategy.“Our officers across commands have demonstrated professionalism and vigilance. While we intensify drug supply reduction efforts, we are equally committed to expanding our sensitisation campaigns to curb demand at the grassroots,” he said.
He further conveyed the directive of the NDLEA Chairman/Chief Executive Officer, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), urging personnel nationwide to sustain the momentum.
“The Chairman has charged officers and men of the Agency to maintain the current tempo and continue delivering impactful results in both enforcement and advocacy,” Babafemi noted.
He reaffirmed that the NDLEA would remain resolute in its mandate to rid the country of illicit drugs and their associated threats.
