Operatives of the (NDLEA) have intercepted multiple drug trafficking attempts across Nigeria, including the arrest of a China-based Nigerian businessman and two Angolan nationals who excreted 236 wraps of cocaine at the Nnamdi Azikiwe and Mallam Aminu Kano international airports.
The anti-narcotics agency said the three suspects were arrested on Wednesday, February 4, 2026, during separate operations at the , Abuja, and the , Kano.
A 34-year-old China-based Nigerian businessman, Ibeanu Vincent Chukwudulue, was apprehended while attempting to board a flight from Kano to China via Abuja and Doha. Acting on intelligence, NDLEA officers subjected him to a body scan at Abuja airport, which confirmed he had ingested illicit drugs.
He was placed under observation and subsequently excreted 52 pellets of cocaine weighing 735.95 grams. The suspect reportedly told investigators he previously operated a business on Lagos Island before relocating to Guangzhou, China, in 2024.
In a related operation in Kano, two Angolan nationals — Mbandu Martins Makiadi, 50, and Ngoma Wilson Fernando, 52 — were intercepted at the departure hall of the Kano airport while preparing to board an flight to Istanbul via Addis Ababa.
Body scans confirmed they had ingested drugs. Under observation, Makiadi excreted 76 wraps of cocaine weighing 920 grams, while Fernando expelled 108 pellets weighing 1.33 kilograms, bringing the combined total to 236 wraps.
The suspects, both from Luanda, Angola, claimed they were recruited by an automobile spare parts dealer who promised to pay them $3,000 each upon successful delivery of the drugs in Turkey.
Convicted Drug Kingpin Linked to Fresh Cocaine Plot from Prison
In Lagos, NDLEA operatives at the export shed of the (MMIA), Ikeja, foiled an attempt to smuggle 1.10 kilograms of cocaine to London on a flight.
The cocaine was concealed in processed cassava granules (garri) and packed inside a carton. Investigations revealed the shipment was orchestrated from prison by Olashupo Michael Oladimeji, a convicted drug trafficker currently serving a five-year jail term at the Ikoyi Correctional Centre following his conviction in 2025 for attempting to export 17.90kg of cocaine.
A staff member of his logistics company, Adedeji Yusuf Gbolahan, was arrested after presenting the consignment for export. Authorities said Oladimeji directed the operation from custody.
More Seizures Across Lagos, Abuja, Edo, Kwara, Oyo
In another case at MMIA, a 44-year-old estate surveyor, Adelaja Taiwo Adetayo, was arrested for attempting to export 1.70 kilograms of skunk concealed in five jerry cans to the United Kingdom. A cargo agent linked to the consignment was also apprehended.
In Abuja, NDLEA officers intercepted a parcel from Enugu containing a children’s toy guitar used to conceal 59.2 grams of Canadian Loud, a strain of cannabis. The consignee, Henry Onuma, was later arrested at Life Camp.
In Lekki, Lagos, operatives raided a four-bedroom duplex allegedly used as a production site for Colorado, a synthetic cannabis variant. The raid followed the seizure of 73 cartons of nitrous oxide along the Ajah–Epe Expressway. Thirteen kilograms of the synthetic substance and precursor chemicals were recovered during the operation.
In Oyo State, a 45-year-old woman, Oluwayemisi Bunmi, was arrested in Ibadan with quantities of Colos, skunk, methamphetamine, nearly ₦3 million in cash, and two vehicles.
In Kwara State, NDLEA officers intercepted 105,400 tramadol pills concealed in a vehicle at Bode Saadu, while in Edo State, five suspects were arrested in a forest raid where 563.5 kilograms of skunk were recovered.
NDLEA Intensifies War Against Drug Abuse
Beyond enforcement, the agency said it sustained its War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) sensitisation campaigns across schools and communities nationwide, including institutions in Oyo, Adamawa, Nasarawa, Katsina, and Lagos states.
Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), commended officers across various commands for their professionalism and urged them to maintain a balanced approach to drug supply reduction and demand reduction efforts.
The latest operations underscore the agency’s continued crackdown on transnational drug trafficking networks and local distribution rings across Nigeria.
