Ugandan Woman in Nigeria for Crusade Arrested with 87 Cocaine Wraps Concealed in Underwear at Lagos Airport

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested a 34-year-old Ugandan woman, Ms Farida Nansubuga, at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos, with 87 wraps of cocaine weighing 1.15 kilogrammes concealed around her pelvic region as she attempted to smuggle the drugs into her home country.

Nansubuga, who reportedly arrived in Nigeria on October 29, 2026, alongside members of her church for a prayer session at The Synagogue Church of All Nations (SCOAN), Ikotun-Egbe, Lagos, was intercepted on Tuesday, November 3, during a joint passenger screening exercise involving NDLEA operatives and aviation security personnel at Terminal 2 of the airport. She was preparing to board a flight to Uganda.

The agency disclosed this in a statement issued on Sunday by its Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, who said the suspect was discovered with the cocaine during a body search after officers noticed a suspicious substance around her pelvic region.

A subsequent search in a designated private room revealed 87 wraps of cocaine weighing 1.15 kilogrammes, strapped around her pelvic region and secured beneath two layers of underwear.

During preliminary interrogation, Nansubuga reportedly claimed that while other members of her church delegation returned to Uganda after the prayer session, she stayed behind to collect the drug consignment on behalf of a friend identified as Joy, who resides in Uganda.

She said her contact in Nigeria arranged a vehicle that took her to a hotel on the morning of her departure, where an unidentified man handed her the cocaine and instructed her to conceal it beneath her clothing to evade airport security screening.

The suspect reportedly expected to receive at least $1,000 upon successful delivery of the consignment.

In another major seizure at the Lagos airport, NDLEA operatives intercepted 750,000 tablets of Tapentadol 250mg, weighing 526 kilogrammes and valued at about N900 million, in a consignment imported from India and falsely declared as Paracetamol Tablets 500mg.

The consignment, which arrived at the airport’s import shed on November 3 aboard an Ethiopian Airlines flight from Ahmedabad, India, comprised 11 cartons packed inside two wooden structures.

Following suspicion over the cargo declaration, NDLEA officers placed the consignment under surveillance before conducting a joint examination with officers of the Nigeria Customs Service and other sister agencies on Friday, November 6.

The examination revealed that 10 of the 11 cartons contained the opioid tablets, while the remaining carton contained paracetamol tablets used as cover.

Also at the airport, operatives on Wednesday, November 4, intercepted 32 parcels of Loud, a strain of cannabis weighing 16.15 kilogrammes, concealed inside two wooden sofas in a consolidated cargo from Houston, Texas, United States.

A freight agent, Ibrahim Abdulwaheed Adewale, who presented himself to clear the consignment, was arrested, while a follow-up operation on Friday led to the arrest of a 34-year-old caterer from Ibadan, Oyo State, Adeoye Sarafa Ojo, who arrived to collect the package.

Ojo reportedly claimed he was sent by a friend, Taiwo Anuoluwapo Olusegun.

Similarly, NDLEA operatives dismantled a drug trafficking syndicate allegedly importing chemicals used in the production of Colorado, a synthetic cannabis, from the United Kingdom.

The operation followed the interception of nine parcels of illicit substances concealed in two cartons of snacks bearing the inscription “Michael Tea Guy” in a consolidated cargo that arrived aboard an Air Peace flight from the UK on October 23.

Two of the parcels contained 1.20 kilogrammes of cannabis, while forensic analysis of the remaining seven confirmed they contained chemicals used in the production of synthetic cannabis.

 

A 51-year-old freight agent, Afolabi Abiodun Wale, who attempted to clear the consignment, was arrested. Two additional cartons addressed to the same recipient subsequently arrived aboard an Allied Air flight from the UK.

A sting operation conducted between October 26 and 28 led to the arrest of another 51-year-old suspect, Okwuite Benjamin Ojone, when he took delivery of the four cartons.

A search of the additional consignments uncovered three parcels weighing 3.30 kilogrammes concealed in two packs of detergent, alongside 11 plastic bottles containing mainly liquid substances weighing 16.25 kilogrammes.

The seizures brought the total recovery from the syndicate to 1.20 kilogrammes of cannabis and 28.65 kilogrammes of chemicals suspected to be used in producing synthetic cannabis.

At courier companies in Lagos, NDLEA operatives also intercepted 46 blocks of cannabis weighing 22.2 kilogrammes in two cartons destined for the United Kingdom on November 3.

Earlier, on October 30, the agency intercepted 296 tablets of Swinol being shipped to Australia from Lagos, as well as three separate consignments of tramadol destined for the UK.

The shipments comprised 20 capsules intercepted in Benin City and 96 capsules in Sapele, Delta State, both concealed in vitamin C containers, as well as 600 tablets of Tramadol 225mg intercepted in Asaba and hidden inside female headwear.

Meanwhile, a 32-year-old man, Abubakar Ali, was arrested on Friday, November 6, at Marine Beach, Apapa, Lagos, where operatives discovered a drug storage facility built inside the sitting room of his apartment.

Items recovered from the facility included 1.06 kilogrammes of Tramadol 250mg, 1.27 kilogrammes of Tramadol 225mg, 400 grammes of pregabalin capsules, 355 grammes of diazepam, 200 millilitres of codeine and 6.07 kilogrammes of cannabis.

Beyond Lagos, the agency recorded significant seizures and arrests across several states.

In Ondo State, operatives raided Odofin Road, Uso, on November 6, recovering 148 bags of cannabis weighing 1,818 kilogrammes.

Earlier the same day, officers raided a cannabis farm in Board Forest, where they destroyed a one-hectare plantation, recovered 242 kilogrammes of the substance and arrested a 36-year-old suspect, Itoro Linus Akpan.

In neighbouring Ekiti State, a 53-year-old man, Agbo Paul Peter, was arrested at Osin Forest, Osin Ekiti, on November 5, with 216 kilogrammes of cannabis and cannabis seeds.

In Edo State, NDLEA operatives intercepted a Volkswagen Golf saloon car loaded with 19 bags of cannabis weighing 201 kilogrammes along the Auchi-Ibillo Road in Akoko-Edo Local Government Area on November 6.

The driver, Abdulmumid Isah, 39, and a passenger, Danako Godwin, 25, were arrested.

In a separate operation, officers raided a suspected drug joint on Ihama Road, GRA, Benin City, arresting three persons identified as Emmanuel Sunday, 25; Samuel Bala, 31; and Loveth Momodu, 20, with quantities of Colorado, Loud and cannabis.

In Taraba State, three suspects were arrested within two days at the NDLEA checkpoint in Lankaviri, Yorro Local Government Area, with a combined 283 blocks of compressed cannabis weighing 226.255 kilogrammes.

The arrests included Ibrahim Abdullahi, 45, who was intercepted on November 5 with 156 blocks weighing 149.275 kilogrammes; Kabiru Usman, 25, arrested the same day with 80 blocks weighing 40.07 kilogrammes; and Babangida Babayo, 32, who was apprehended on November 6 with 47 blocks weighing 36.91 kilogrammes.

In Enugu State, operatives arrested a 57-year-old man, Celestine Uzochukwu Ejiakor, at a checkpoint in Eke Obinagu on November 3, recovering 44 blocks of cannabis weighing 22.5 kilogrammes.

Another suspect, Godwin Shaapera, 40, was arrested at the Ugwuoba checkpoint with 24,000 capsules of Tramadol weighing 13.4 kilogrammes and 697 grammes of ketamine.

In Delta State, a 30-year-old suspect, Edugua Othuke, was arrested at Ozoro, Isoko North Local Government Area, on October 31, with 10.54 kilogrammes of skunk, 9.4 kilogrammes of cannabis seeds and 4.3 grammes of methamphetamine.

Another suspect, Akpofure Tobore, 34, was arrested at Upper Agbarho, Ughelli, on November 4, with quantities of skunk, tramadol, rohypnol and nitrous oxide, popularly known as laughing gas.

Meanwhile, the agency said its commands and formations across the country sustained their War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) sensitisation campaigns in schools, worship centres, workplaces and communities during the week under review.

Activities included enlightenment lectures at St. Andrew Basic School, Oyo; Government Technical College, Abakaliki, Ebonyi State; Sa’ad College, Kano; and Inland Girls Secondary School, Onitsha, Anambra State.

The Zone 1 Command also paid a WADA advocacy visit to the Emir of Bauchi, HRH Alhaji Rilwanu Sulaiman Adamu, at his palace in Bauchi.

Commending officers and personnel of the MMIA, Lagos, Ondo, Ekiti, Edo, Delta, Taraba and Enugu Commands for the arrests and seizures, NDLEA Chairman/Chief Executive Officer, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), described the Ugandan woman’s arrest as a disturbing indication of how drug trafficking networks exploit religious activities and international travel to recruit couriers.

He urged officers across the agency’s commands to sustain the momentum of their operations in tackling both the supply and demand sides of illicit drugs.