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NDLEA arrests a 30-year-old Italy-based businessman at Enugu International Airport after he excretes 98 wraps of cocaine weighing 1.510kg allegedly swallowed for delivery in Europe.
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Operatives foil fresh international drug trafficking attempts by intercepting cocaine concealed in phone chargers bound for Saudi Arabia and another shipment hidden in a backpack destined for Italy.
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Coordinated nationwide operations lead to the seizure of over 3.6 tonnes of cocaine, skunk, Loud cannabis and cannabis-infused edibles, with multiple suspects arrested across Lagos, Ondo, Oyo, Edo, Abia and other states.
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NDLEA Chairman, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd.), commends the successful operations and urges officers to sustain the agency’s offensive against drug cartels while expanding anti-drug awareness campaigns nationwide.
August 09, (THEWILL) — The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has dealt another major blow to transnational drug trafficking syndicates, arresting a 30-year-old Italy-based businessman at the Akanu Ibiam International Airport (AIIA), Enugu, after he excreted 98 wraps of cocaine, while simultaneously disrupting separate attempts to smuggle cocaine to Saudi Arabia and Europe through phone chargers and a specially modified backpack.
The coordinated operations formed part of a nationwide offensive that also resulted in the seizure of more than 3.6 tonnes of illicit drugs, including skunk, Loud cannabis and cannabis-infused edibles, with several suspected traffickers arrested across multiple states.
The agency in a statement signed on Sunday by its Spokesperson, Femi Babafemi, disclosed that the Italy-based suspect, Joseph Cyril, was arrested on August 2, 2026, at the departure hall of the Enugu airport during the outward clearance of passengers on Ethiopian Airlines Flight ET930 bound for Addis Ababa, with onward connections to France and Italy.
Following intelligence profiling and body screening, operatives placed him under excretion observation after suspecting he had swallowed illicit substances.
The suspect subsequently excreted 98 wraps of cocaine weighing 1.510 kilograms.
Investigations showed that Cyril had arrived in Nigeria from Italy on July 13, 2026, before checking into a hotel in Awka, Anambra State, where he allegedly ingested the cocaine consignment ahead of his trip.
He later travelled to Enugu in an attempt to fly back to Europe before he was intercepted by NDLEA officers.
During interrogation, the suspect reportedly confessed that he had operated businesses in Italy for several years but accepted an offer to traffic the cocaine for 3,500 Euros because he needed funds to relocate to Germany, where members of his family currently reside.
Fresh Attempts to Smuggle Cocaine Abroad Foiled
In another major breakthrough, NDLEA operatives at a courier company in Lagos intercepted 1.2 kilograms of cocaine ingeniously concealed inside 25 phone chargers prepared for export to Saudi Arabia.
At another logistics company, officers also recovered 500 grams of cocaine hidden inside the false bottom of a backpack destined for Italy.
The agency further intercepted 2.3 kilograms of Loud, a highly potent synthetic strain of cannabis shipped from the United States, during cargo examination at another shipping company in Lagos.
The seizures underscore the increasingly sophisticated concealment methods employed by international drug trafficking syndicates seeking to move narcotics through Nigeria’s airports and logistics channels.
Massive Drug Hauls Across States
On the Akure-Ilesha Expressway, officers intercepted a truck conveying 1,633 kilograms of skunk concealed beneath bags of rice chaff and heading to northern Nigeria. Two suspects, Buba Jamilu, 40, and Sanusi Ibrahim, 30, were arrested in connection with the seizure.
In a separate raid, operatives recovered another 147 kilograms of skunk from Ita Ogbolu Forest during an operation targeting cannabis traffickers.
In Oyo State, NDLEA officers acting on credible intelligence stormed a drug warehouse in Elebure Village, Orire Local Government Area, recovering 731.03 kilograms of illicit drugs.
A 57-year-old suspect, Felicia Thompson, was arrested, while her alleged accomplice, Thompson Vincent Nwaka, escaped and is currently being sought by the agency.
In Edo State, operatives, supported by military personnel, raided Ewe Luleha in Owan West Local Government Area, where they recovered 65 jumbo bags of skunk weighing 604.5 kilograms.
In Abia State, NDLEA officers arrested Chibuike Charles, 31, during a raid on a notorious drug joint located at Samec by Powerline in Osisioma Local Government Area, recovering 7 kilograms of skunk.
In Lagos, the agency also arrested Adome Claude Sikuru, described as a notorious wanted drug dealer, after a three-month manhunt. He was apprehended at the Fibre Market drug enclave in Badagry on Saturday, August 8, with 88.5 kilograms of skunk recovered from him.
In another significant operation, NDLEA officers, working jointly with the Nigeria Customs Service and other security agencies, intercepted 73 cartons containing 442 packets of cannabis-infused cookies and gummies weighing 309.4 kilograms during a joint examination of a 40-foot container at the Tincan Port Complex in Lagos.
The agency confirmed the arrest of Larry Nnaji in connection with the shipment.
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Agency Sustains Anti-Drug Advocacy
Beyond enforcement operations, the NDLEA said it continued implementing its War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) campaign through awareness programmes in schools, religious institutions, workplaces and communities.
The sensitisation activities included lectures for students and staff of Islamic High School, Saki, Oyo State; Holy Ghost Academy, Nkpor, Anambra State; and Madarasatul Hidayatul Aulad Islamiyya, Gaya, Kano State.
The Rivers State Command also visited the management of Ignatius Ajuru University of Education, Port Harcourt, to strengthen collaboration on anti-drug advocacy and prevention.
Marwa Commends Operatives
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd.), commended officers and men of the Directorate of Operations and General Investigation (DOGI), the Akanu Ibiam International Airport Command, and Commands in Ondo, Oyo, Edo, Abia, Seme and Tincan for the successful operations.
Marwa urged officers nationwide to sustain the agency’s balanced strategy of combining aggressive disruption of drug supply networks with intensive public enlightenment and preventive education.
He reiterated the agency’s commitment to dismantling transnational drug trafficking organisations, strengthening border interdiction, and protecting Nigerian communities from the devastating social and security consequences of illicit drug trafficking and abuse
Felix Ifijeh is a journalist with years of professional reporting experience. Known for his keen news sense, compelling storytelling and commitment to accurate, impactful reporting, he has built a reputation for turning leads into clear, engaging, and well-structured reports that resonate with readers. His work reflects deep newsroom experience and a commitment to accurate, impactful journalism.
