NDLEA Arrests Brazilian National Over ₦3bn Worth of Heroin Concealed in Coffee Packs at Abuja Airport
Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have arrested a Brazilian national, Ms. Ingrid Rosa Benevides, for attempting to bring into Nigeria 30.09 kilograms of white heroin worth over ₦3 billion concealed in factory-sealed coffee packs.
Benevides, 30, who works as a private security officer in Brazil, was apprehended at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, based on processed intelligence, on Friday, January 23, 2026, upon her arrival on a Qatar Airways flight QR1431.
The Director of Media and Advocacy at NDLEA, Femi Babafemi, disclosed this in a statement made available to ThelensNG on Sunday.
“After her arrest, a search was conducted on her two checked-in bags where 21 factory-sealed packets of Brazilian coffee were found. When the coffee bags were opened, rather than containing the beverage, what was found inside were white substances that later tested positive for heroin weighing a total of 30.09 kilograms, making it the single largest heroin seizure at the Abuja airport.
“During her preliminary interview, the suspect claimed she brought the white heroin consignment under the guise of coming to Nigeria for holidays,” the statement said.
In another operation, NDLEA operatives intercepted two passengers — Adediran Adedoyin and Afatakpa Ochuko at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) Ikeja, Lagos, on Tuesday, January 20. The duo were heading to Istanbul, Turkey, aboard a Turkish Airlines flight with a total of 3,990 pills of tapentadol 250mg and tramaking 225mg concealed in food items packed in their bags.
Operatives of the Agency’s Marine Command also intercepted a wooden boat loaded with 44 jumbo bags of Ghana Loud (a strain of cannabis) weighing 1,848 kilograms at the Jakande beach in Lekki, Lagos, in the early hours of Thursday, January 22.
Babafemi revealed that the shipment had barely arrived from Ghana when NDLEA officers acting on credible intelligence stormed the location around 1 a.m. — and recovered the consignment and the boat.
Two suspects — Aminu Ali Baba, 20, and Abdulrasheed Abubakar, 28, were arrested by NDLEA operatives in connection with the seizure of two bags containing 140 packets of explosives heading to Kano and Kaduna on Friday, January 23.
The bags were intercepted in a commercial bus along Kaduna-Zaria highway, Zaria, while Ali Baba was arrested at Karota park in Kano and Abdulrasheed Abubakar nabbed at Mando park in Kaduna in swift follow-up operations.
An intelligence-led raid at Kwangila, Zaria Local Government Area of Kaduna led to the arrest of Fatima Ibrahim, 42, and Adejimoh Ismaila, 44, on Thursday, January 22. The operatives recovered 120 kilograms of skunk in the process.
Similarly, NDLEA operatives in Borno State intercepted 179,590 pills of tramadol and diazepam concealed in sacks of charcoal and animal feeds in a public transport car en route from Potiskum, Yobe, on Wednesday, January 21. A follow-up operation at Bulabulin, Maiduguri led to the arrest of the owner, Rabiu Imam, 32.
A female suspect Mrs. Eze Cynthia Chioma was arrested in Mokwa, Niger State, on Friday, January 23, in a follow up operation by NDLEA operatives following the seizure of her consignment of 78,500 pills of tramadol same day at Bode Saadu, Kwara State in a truck originating from Lagos.
“Her husband currently remanded in prison and facing trial was arrested for the same drug trafficking offence last year,” the spokesperson stated.
Elsewhere (Ekiti), NDLEA operatives apprehended 72-year-old Afolalu Joseph at his 15 Aramoko road, Mushin, Ilawe-Ekiti and Abu Bunmi (alias Go Slow), 45, at New Jerusalem area, Erijinyan road, Ilawe-Ekiti for illicit drug dealing on Saturday, January 24. A total of 62 kilograms of skunk were recovered from the duo.
A village head, Chief James Abamu and another suspect, Aboy Egah Abamu have been taken into custody by the Edo State Command of NDLEA following their arrest and prompt transfer to the Agency by soldiers of the Nigerian Army 4 Brigade, Benin City. The arrest followed a raid operation at Lagos camp Ilushi in Esan South East LGA, where 681kg skunk and 181kg cannabis seeds were recovered from them on Wednesday, January 21.
While the trio of Abba Hassan, Anas Moh’d Auwal, and Sadik Ismail were arrested in Sabon Gari area of Kano with 1,000 ampoules of pentazocine injection on Tuesday, January 20, the duo of Olajumoke Ridwan and Baruwa Ibukun were nabbed at Paris lounge, Ring road, Ibadan, Oyo State, on Thursday, January 22, with 181.5 litres of skuchies (a mixture skunk and other illicit substances) recovered from them.
The statement added: “In Benue State, a female suspect Janet Iornongu was arrested at Yes Ikyuan village, Guma LGA with 210kg skunk, while a total of 254.5kg of same psychoactive substance was seized from Anita Job along Abaji-Toto road, FCT on Thursday 22nd January. A total of 39,800 pills of tramadol 225mg were recovered from two suspects: Hamisu Misbahu and Chima Obi at Alaba Rago, Mile 2 area of Lagos on Monday 19th January.
“No fewer than 30,003 pills of tramadol, molly and other opioids as well as 20 litres of codeine syrup were seized from a suspect Chinyecherem Cyprian Ugwu by NDLEA officers along Sapele road Warri, Delta State on Thursday 22nd January, while Kayode Obameye, 57, was nabbed at Mobil roundabout, Akure, Ondo State with 1,500 kilograms of skunk recovered from him on Friday 23rd January.”
In the same vein, the Commands and formations of the Agency nationwide 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 Taraba State Command of NDLEA conducts; WADA enlightenment lecture for students and staff of Government Science Secondary School, Jalingo; WADA sensitisation lecture to students and staff of Beloved Montessori Group of Schools, Ede, Osun State; Owerri City Junior Secondary School, Owerri, Imo; Government Day Secondary School, Otukpo, Benue; and Darawa Primary School, Dutsinma, Katsina.
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 the NAIA, MMIA, Marine, Borno, Jigawa, Kwara, Kaduna, Ekiti, Edo, Kano, Delta, Oyo, FCT, Benue, Lagos, and Ondo Commands for their dexterity and commitment.
Marwa urged them and their colleagues across the country to maintain the current standard of professionalism in all their drug supply reduction and drug demand reduction activities.
