Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have arrested a grandfather identified as Ikwuakalom Nwakoro Emeka after discovering a large consignment of cocaine concealed in balloons and wrapped in foil paper inside his luggage at Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport (NAIA) in Abuja.
Emeka, 74, who claimed he was travelling to London, United Kingdom, for vacation, was apprehended by NDLEA officers at the departure hall of the Abuja airport while attempting to board British Airways flight BA082 to Heathrow Airport on Saturday, March 14, 2026.
The Director of Media and Advocacy at NDLEA, Femi Babafemi, disclosed this in a statement made available to ThelensNG on Sunday.
“During a search of his luggage, blocks of cocaine weighing 11 kilograms were discovered concealed inside food items, including ground dry pepper, carefully wrapped in foil papers and balloons,” the statement said.
In another development, NDLEA operatives acting on credible intelligence in the early hours of Monday, March 9, arrested a woman, Mrs. Maryam Olalowo, at Ikad Hotel and Suites, on Etim Inyang Street, Victoria Island, Lagos.
Mrs. Olalowo was nabbed while attempting to sell 89 grams of cocaine and 20 grams of Canadian Loud (a strain of cannabis).
According to Babafemi, she was found with her three children, including an infant, at the time of the arrest.
“She confessed the illicit drugs belong to her husband, Ibrahim Olalowo Olatunji, who was later taken into custody same day while his wife was immediately set free.
“Ibrahim confirmed ownership of the illicit drugs in his statement while further investigation revealed that he had previously been arrested, convicted, and sentenced to two and a half years imprisonment for a similar offence in 2015,” he stated.
NDLEA operatives also arrested two suspects, Kalilou Simpara and Saidu Ibrahim, at Ebetu Ero, Lagos Island, recovering 68,000 pills of tramadol (250mg and 225mg) after the suspects loaded the drugs into a truck and prepared to transport them to Benin Republic on Monday, March 9.
A follow-up operation was conducted on Wednesday, March 11, at Idumota market, Lagos Island, where the actual owner of the consignment, Nnamdi Cyprian, was arrested. A search of his shop led to the discovery of a parcel already prepared for waybill delivery, containing 1,000 tablets of tramadol 250mg.
Another raid at Idumota market on Friday, March 13, led to the arrest of Nwanosike Kelvin and the recovery of 47,500 ampoules of pentazocine injection from his shop.
While Magaji Dan Azumi, 42, was arrested at Bebeji area of Kano with 386kg skunk on Tuesday, March 10, NDLEA officers in Abuja recovered 282.2kg skunk from a suspect Isah Wako, 42, in Gwagwalada area of the FCT on Friday, March 13.
In Edo State, NDLEA operatives raided the Egwa Forest Reserve in Aduan village, Orhionmwon Local Government Area, where they apprehended a suspect, Chinedo Odalonu, 33, destroyed 4,218.96kg of skunk on two farms, and recovered 16.5kg of the same substance.
No fewer than 339,800 bottles of codeine-based syrup were intercepted in two containers at the Apapa seaport in Lagos on Saturday, March 14 during a joint examination of the shipments by NDLEA officers, personnel of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) and other security agencies.
The spokesperson affirmed that the containers had earlier been watch-listed by NDLEA following credible intelligence that opioids were concealed in them.
Similarly, the Agency’s Commands and formations continued their War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) social advocacy activities across the country over the past week.
Some of activities included WADA sensitisation lecture delivered to students and staff of ERCC Secondary School, Duguru, Nasarawa; Awoyemi Commercial High School, Okeho, Oyo; Ogunu Primary School, Ogunu, Delta; Seven Angels University Secondary School, Ikot Enobong, Calabar, Cross River; and Edo National College, Iguobazuwa, Edo State.
The Zone 11 Command of NDLEA equally paid a WADA advocacy visit to the Governor of Ebonyi State, Mr. Francis Ogbonna Nwifuru.
Commenting on the arrests and seizures, the Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (rtd) commended the officers and men of NAIA, Lagos, Kano, Edo, and FCT Commands for their professionalism and commitment.
Marwa also praised their counterparts across commands nationwide for maintaining a fair balance between drug supply reduction and drug demand reduction efforts.
