Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have arrested a 62-year-old Lagos-based businessman, Nwabueze Nicholas Izueke, at the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport (MAKIA), Kano, for ingesting 95 wraps of cocaine while attempting to travel to China.
Izueke was apprehended on Saturday, January 31, 2026, during the outward clearance of passengers on Ethiopian Airlines flight ET940 to Addis Ababa en route to China.
A body scan confirmed he had ingested illicit drugs, and he was placed under excretion observation, during which he expelled 95 pellets of cocaine weighing 1.589 kilograms.
Confirming the development, Femi Babafemi, Director, Media & Advocacy, NDLEA, said the suspect admitted he engaged in drug trafficking to finance the construction of his country home in Enugu State.
“The suspect claimed he ventured into drug trafficking to raise funds to complete a building project in his village, Iwollo, Enugu State,” Babafemi said.
In a related operation, NDLEA operatives foiled an attempt to smuggle methamphetamine concealed in Mp3 speakers from Enugu to Abuja and Kaduna. The consignments were intercepted in a commercial bus in Abuja, leading to the arrest of Ebube Okeke, the owner of one of the parcels, while Evans Ugwu, Mohammed Eze Arinze and Friday Michael were arrested in Kaduna when they arrived to collect the second consignment.
Similarly, officers at the Dan-Anacha patrol point in Taraba State intercepted Yusuf Abubakar, 32, with methamphetamine concealed in packs of Hollandia yoghurt en route from Lagos to Mubi, Adamawa State.
In Ibadan, NDLEA operatives arrested a suspected drug kingpin, Jimoh Nurudeen, who operates a synthetic cannabis (Colorado) production facility, along with his accomplice Ogundipe Yusuf. Items recovered include precursor chemicals, skunk, production equipment, ₦7.4 million cash and two vehicles.
Additional seizures and arrests were recorded across Oyo, Kwara, Imo, Ondo, Lagos and Enugu states, including large quantities of skunk, tramadol, cocaine, methamphetamine and other illicit substances.
“These coordinated operations underscore our resolve to dismantle drug trafficking networks and curb drug abuse nationwide,” Babafemi said.
He added that NDLEA officers also intensified the War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) sensitisation campaign in schools, communities and institutions across the country.
Commending the officers involved, NDLEA Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), urged personnel to sustain professionalism and commitment in drug supply and demand reduction efforts.
