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A 25-year-old businessman, Lovely Chukwulobelu, has been arrested by the NDLEA at Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu, allegedly after ingesting 72 wraps of cocaine for trafficking to Portugal.
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The suspect, who was still wearing his wedding ring, reportedly told investigators that financial pressure from his September 13 wedding influenced his decision to venture into drug trafficking.
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In separate operations across Lagos, Bauchi, Oyo, Edo and the Seme border, NDLEA operatives seized millions of opioid pills, hundreds of kilogrammes of cannabis, pentazocine, nitrazepam, tramadol and 1.68 tonnes of nitrous oxide.
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The agency also continued its War Against Drug Abuse sensitisation campaigns in schools, communities, worship centres and workplaces, as Chairman Mohamed Buba Marwa commended officers involved in the nationwide operations.
September 27, (THEWILL) – The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has intensified interdiction operations at airports, borders, major transport routes and identified drug hotspots as part of efforts to disrupt the trafficking and distribution of illicit drugs across Nigeria and through international routes.
The latest operations resulted in the arrest of several suspects and the seizure of substantial quantities of cocaine, cannabis, opioids and other controlled substances.
Newlywed Intercepted at Enugu Airport
A 25-year-old businessman, Lovely Chukwulobelu, has been arrested by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) for allegedly attempting to traffic cocaine to Portugal.
Chukwulobelu was intercepted at the departure hall of the Akanu Ibiam International Airport (AIIA), Enugu, on Thursday, September 25, 2026, while allegedly preparing to board an Ethiopian Airlines flight to Portugal through Addis Ababa.
According to a statement issued on Sunday by Femi Babafemi, NDLEA Director of Media and Advocacy, the suspect had ingested 72 wraps of cocaine.
He was subsequently placed under excretion observation and later expelled all 72 wraps of the Class A illicit drug.
The agency said the suspect was still wearing his wedding ring when he was arrested.
Chukwulobelu reportedly told investigators that he previously operated a car decoration business at the Trade Fair Complex in Ojo, Lagos, before relocating to Portugal in May 2023.
He recently returned to Nigeria and got married on September 13, 2026.
According to the NDLEA, the suspect allegedly said he became involved in drug trafficking in an attempt to offset expenses incurred during his wedding.
2.55m Opioid Pills Seized at Lagos Airport
In Lagos, NDLEA operatives at the import shed of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) seized 2,550,000 pills of opioids during a joint examination of three monitored consignments.
The agency said the consignments contained Tramaking 225mg, Tramaking 250mg and Royal Tapentadol 250mg, with a combined gross weight of 1,640.55kg.
The consignments were imported from India and Bangladesh through Qatar Airways, RwandAir and Ethiopian Airlines.
262kg Cannabis Intercepted in Bauchi
In Bauchi State, NDLEA officers arrested two suspects, Umar Hamidu, 35, and Abdulkarim Salihu, 45, along the Maiduguri bypass.
The suspects were allegedly found with 300 compressed blocks of skunk, a strain of cannabis weighing 262.5kg.
The agency said the consignment was concealed in the false bottom of a truck marked MUB757 YH.
In Edo State, NDLEA officers, supported by soldiers, also destroyed two cannabis farms at Eko Camp, Ilushi, with an estimated combined yield of 1,360.23kg.
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NDLEA Raids Lagos Drug Hotspots
In Lagos, two women, Odumabo Kehinde, 36, and Obiekwe Chioma, 40, were arrested on Saturday, September 26, during a raid on Anifowoshe Street, Mushin. The operation led to the recovery of 3.4kg of skunk.
At Ebute-Ero motor park on the same day, NDLEA operatives arrested 58-year-old Ugwu Johnson and recovered 5.920kg of skunk, 2,400 ampoules of pentazocine injection, 8,400 tablets of nitrazepam and 40,000 pills of tramadol.
Two Togolese Arrested With 305kg Cannabis
In Oyo State, two Togolese nationals, Yinusa Abdulsamad, 35, and Fatai Baba, 33, were arrested along the Iganna-Ilero road in Iganna.
The suspects were allegedly intercepted with 305.6kg of skunk concealed in two pickup vans.
The NDLEA said preliminary investigation indicated that the cannabis was sourced from Ghana and was being moved into Nigeria through the Oyo axis.
At the Seme border in Badagry, Lagos, five suspects were also arrested with 420 cartons of nitrous oxide, commonly known as laughing gas.
The substance weighed 1,688.4kg, while two vehicles allegedly used to transport the consignment from the border into Lagos were seized.
The suspects were identified as Kingsley John, 40; John Chibuike Okeke, 44; Lamidi Ismaila, 40; Babatunde Samuel, 42; and Afeesu Idowu, 47.
NDLEA Sustains Drug Awareness Campaigns
Beyond enforcement, the agency said its commands and formations nationwide sustained sensitisation activities under its War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) campaign.
The campaigns were held in schools, worship centres, workplaces and communities, including Community High School, Saki, Oyo State; Auchi College, Auchi, Edo State; Alkali Modibbo Islamic Centre, Dukku, Gombe State; and Junior Arabic Secondary School, Kahu, Kibiya Local Government Area of Kano State.
The Delta Ports Command also paid a WADA advocacy visit to the Olu of Warri, His Royal Majesty Ogiame Atuwatshe III, in Delta State.
NDLEA Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (rtd), commended personnel of the MMIA, AIIA, Lagos, Oyo, Edo, Seme and Bauchi commands for the operations.
Marwa urged officers nationwide to sustain the agency’s balanced approach to drug control, combining enforcement with prevention, public awareness, and community engagement.
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.
