The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency officers intercepted 18.72 kilograms of cocaine, valued at around N4.4 billion, at Lagos’ Murtala Muhammed International Airport.
According to a statement by NDLEA spokesperson Femi Babafemi, the drugs were hidden in nine plastic bags placed inside the lavatories of an Ethiopian Airlines flight arriving from Addis Ababa on October 29. Babafemi said, “Our MMIA Strategic Command was alerted to unusual items during post-landing cleaning, which led to the discovery of the drugs.”
Following the discovery, NDLEA officers questioned 30 people who were linked to the attempted smuggling. Investigations revealed that drug couriers had ingested the drugs in Brazil, transported them to Ethiopia, and then attempted to bring them into Nigeria. Babafemi explained that airline authorities and other airport staff worked with the NDLEA to foil the trafficking effort.
In related operations, the NDLEA also stopped attempts to export 2.928 kilograms of cocaine, cannabis, and tramadol hidden in containers of body cream and artworks intended for Australia, the UAE, and the UK. NDLEA officers at the Apapa seaport, working with customs, seized 754,000 pills of tapentadol and acetaminophen worth N525 million.
Additional arrests occurred in various parts of the country. In the Federal Capital Territory, Mujahid Hamisu was arrested with 147,000 tramadol pills, and Seun Abimbola was caught with 512 grams of methamphetamine.
In Kogi State, Mercy Ameh was found with counterfeit Naira notes totaling N4.3 million, while Shaibu Dahiru was caught with 27.4 kilograms of cannabis. Known drug dealer Usman Abba, also called “Timaya,” was apprehended with cannabis in Katsina, and large cannabis seizures were made in Taraba and Ondo states.
NDLEA’s Chairman, Brigadier General Mohamed Marwa (Retired), praised the agency’s staff for their commitment to fighting drug trafficking and raising awareness through educational programs. He stated that the NDLEA remains focused on stopping the spread of drugs in Nigeria.
