Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have arrested a Lagos-based businessman, Nwabueze Nicholas Izueke, for ingesting 1.589 kilograms of cocaine at the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport (MAKIA).
Izueke, 62, was apprehended on Saturday, January 31, 2026, at the Kano airport during the outward clearance of passengers travelling to China via Addis Ababa on Ethiopian Airlines flight ET940.
The Director of Media and Advocacy of NDLEA, Femi Babafemi, disclosed this in a statement made available to ThelensNG on Sunday.
“When taken for body scan, he tested positive for ingesting illicit drug and was promptly placed under excretion observation. While under observation, the suspect who claims he’s into clothing and auto spare parts business in Lagos, expelled a total of 95 pellets of the class A drug in seven excretions,” the statement said.
In his statement, Izueke claimed he decided to engage in illicit drug trafficking to raise enough money to complete the country home he is building in his village, Iwollo, Enugu State.
In another operation, a total of 627.7 kilograms of skunk (a strain of cannabis) were recovered from a makeshift warehouse within Fums Plaza in Kubwa, Federal Capital Territory. Similarly, an attempt by Ebube Okeke, Evans Ugwu, Mohammed Eze Arinze, and Friday Michael to smuggle consignments of methamphetamine concealed in MP3 speakers from Enugu to Abuja and Kaduna was foiled by NDLEA operatives on Friday, February 6. The operatives intercepted the consignments in a bus.
A follow-up operation in Zuba, FCT led to the arrest of Ebube Okeke who is the owner of one of the parcels containing 173 grams of meth, while the trio of Evans Ugwu, Mohammed Eze Arinze, and Friday Michael were nabbed on Saturday, February 7, in Kaduna when they showed up to collect the second consignment weighing 28 grams of meth.
In a similar development, NDLEA operatives at Dan-anacha patrol point, Gassol Local Government Area of Taraba State on Friday, February 6, intercepted a suspect Yusuf Abubakar, 32, conveying packs of Hollandia Yogurt from Lagos heading to Mubi, Adamawa State.
Babafemi revealed that NDLEA officers acting on intelligence searched the yogurt packs and discovered that some were used to conceal wraps of white powdery substance that tested positive to methamphetamine weighing 1.8 kilograms.
Elsewhere (Oyo State), NDLEA officers on Thursday, February 5, arrested a Beninoise, Shuaibu Abdulrahman, 29, at Ibudo-Igboho village, Sooro Kishi, and recovered 149.6kg skunk concealed in rice shafts.
In a separate operation in Ibadan, a suspect Adeniyi Adeola (a.k.a Prince) was nabbed at Foko, Agbeni market on Wednesday, February 4. Babafemi highlighted the prohibited substances recovered from Adeola’s truck marked BDJ 767 YC, including 10,820 ampoules of pentazocine injection; and 117,820 capsules of tramadol.
A drug kingpin, Jimoh Nurudeen, 40, who owns a facility where he produces Colorado (a synthetic cannabis) was arrested at Badeku area of Ibadan, on Saturday, February 7, along with his accomplice Ogundipe Yusuf, 27.
Recovered from them include — 8 litres of precursor chemical; 14 grams of skunk and other paraphernalia of Colos production, as well as monetary exhibit of ₦7,408,400 and two vehicles — a Mercedes Benz SUV marked ABC 832 AZ and a Toyota Highlander with registration number RBC 243 BS.
In Kwara State, NDLEA operatives intercepted a fuel tanker conveying petrol from Lagos to Maiduguri, Borno State, on Saturday, February 7. A search of the truck led to the recovery of 395,400 capsules of tramadol concealed in parts of the petrol laden truck, while the driver was taken into custody.
While a couple, Izuchukwu Azubuike, 37, and Ifunaya Mmadueke, 32, were arrested at Umuaka, Njaba, Imo State, with 203 kg of skunk on Saturday, February 7, operatives in Ondo State on Friday, February 6, recovered 420 kg of skunk in a bush at Ikun Akoko.
The statement added: “No fewer than 31 wraps of cocaine hidden in a hand bag were seized by operatives of the Marine Command of NDLEA from a suspect, Eze Nodebechi Austin upon his arrival from Cote D’Ivoire in a passenger’s boat at Yekeme, Badagry, Lagos State on Friday 6th February.
“A suspect Adekunle Oluwatosin Olajide was on Wednesday 4th February arrested at Lagos Island by NDLEA operatives who recovered 3.6 kilograms of Canadian Loud and Colorado from him. In Enugu, a drug dealer Emeka Okeke, 37, was nabbed in his hideout at Akuruka Street, Asata, Ezeagu, where various quantities of skunk, meth, cocaine and molly as well as ₦457,700 monetary exhibit were seized from him.”
In the same vein, the Commands and formations of the Agency across the country continued their War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) sensitisation activities in schools, worship centres, work places, communities, and other places in the past week.
The activities included WADA enlightenment lecture to students and staff of Agulu Awka Community Secondary School, Awka, Anambra; Okeodo Community High School, Igboora, Oyo; and Wisdom Foundation Secondary School, Ado, Lagos, while Niger State Command of NDLEA paid a WADA advocacy visit to the Emir of Suleja, Alhaji Mohammed Auwal Ibrahim, among others.
Reacting to the arrests and seizures, the Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (rtd), commended the officers and men of the MAKIA, Marine, FCT, Taraba, Oyo, Kwara, Imo, Ondo, and Lagos Commands for their professionalism and commitment.
Marwa urged them and their colleagues nationwide to maintain the current level of diligence in all their drug supply and demand reduction activities.
