Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have arrested Angolan businessman, Mbala Dajou Abuba at the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport (MAKIA) for attempting to smuggle 1.829 kilograms of cocaine ingested by him to Istanbul, Turkey.
Abuba, 42, who hails from the Zaire province in Angola was apprehended on Tuesday, February 25, 2025 at the screening point of the Kano airport while trying to board Egypt Air flight MS 880 to Istanbul, Turkey via Cairo.
The Director, Media & Advocacy of NDLEA, Mr. Femi Babafemi disclosed this in a statement made available to Thelensng on Sunday.
“After his body scan result confirmed he ingested illicit drug, he was thereafter placed under excretion observation during which he expelled 120 pellets of cocaine weighing 1.829 kilograms in seven excretions. In his statement, the suspect claimed he was into the business of township delivery services in Angola before delving into the illicit drug trade,” the statement noted.
Babafemi revealed that a similar attempt by an auto spare parts dealer, Okeke Ebuka Igwe, to send two parcels of 1.10kg cocaine to Angola on Monday, February 24, was prevented by NDLEA operatives and he was arrested afterwards.
He said that the cocaine was concealed in vehicle propellers to Angola through the export shed of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) Ikeja, Lagos, until the agency’s operatives intervened following credible intelligence.
The spokesperson mentioned that during an interview with the suspect, he claimed that he is a businessman selling auto parts in ASPANDA, Trade Fair Complex, Ojo area of Lagos.
Similarly, the bid by another suspect, Ezechi Iyke Cyprian to move a large consignment of cocaine weighing 5.40 kilograms to Owerri, Imo State in his Toyota Sienna bus on Sunday, February 23, was frustrated by operatives of a special operations unit of NDLEA who arrested him following weeks of intelligence and surveillance.
“At the Tincan seaport in Lagos, NDLEA operatives on Friday 28th February discovered a total of 128 parcels of Canadian Loud, a strong strain of cannabis concealed in two matrasses in the trunk of a Toyota Venza car imported from Canada. The discovery of the 63.75kg consignment was made during a joint examination of a targeted container marked TCNU 1945861 from Montreal, Canada, by NDLEA, Customs and other security agencies. The consignee of the shipment, 44-year-old Bamidele Joseph has been arrested and taken into custody.
“In Delta State, NDLEA operatives supported by the military on Thursday 27th February stormed a forest in Innam-Abbi/Orogun community, Ndokwa West Local Government Area where they destroyed over 50,000kg cannabis on a 20-hectare farm land. Five suspects arrested during the raid include: Augustine Subaru, 45; Ukoba Malachukwu, 53; Odalonu Emmanuel, 40; Esuabom Macaulay, 35; and Itoje Safe, 54.”
Elsewhere (Delta State), the agency’s operatives on Friday, February 28, intercepted a Mercedes Benz truck marked AWK 791 ZJ along Abraka-Orogun road – and a search of the truck led to the recovery of 101 bags of skunk with a total weight of 1,111kg.
In the same vein, NDLEA officers supported by the military on Saturday, March 1, raided the Okpuje community in Owan West LGA, Edo State, where they destroyed over 100 jumbo bags of skunk in warehouses. They also recovered a total of 1,409.5kg of the psychoactive substance for the prosecution of arrested suspects: Oikelomen Osere Monday, 38 and Glory Iroyo, 42.
A suspect, Michael Omoloki, 46, was also nabbed with 58.5 kilograms of skunk at the Ibadan end of the Lagos -Ibadan expressway, Oyo State, while operatives in Kwara State on Monday, February 24, apprehended a Beninoise, Lawali Mohammed with 2,980 tablets of tramadol and dozens of diazepam pills at Eiyenkorin expressway, Ilorin.
The statement added: “In Osun, NDLEA operatives on patrol along Ibadan/Gbongan expressway on Thursday 27th February intercepted a consignment of 1.05kg skunk concealed in detergent soap and biscuit carton, while Sunday Ogbu, 45, was arrested in connection with the seizure. A suspect Ayuba Mustapha, 30, was arrested at Tsafe, Zamfara state with 24,700 pills of tramadol on Sunday 23rd February.
“In Borno State, Mustapha Shettima, 50, was arrested by NDLEA operatives with 31kg skunk, 1,000 pills of tramadol and N720,000 monetary exhibit along Bama road, Maiduguri on Wednesday 26th February, while Adamu Idris, 40, was nabbed along Zaria road, Kano, same day with 140 blocks of cannabis weighing 73.5kg.”
However, 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 and communities among others in the past week.
The activities include WADA enlightenment lecture to students and staff of Ansarudeen Junior Secondary School, Ojuelegba, Lagos; Loretto Girls Special Science School, Adazinnukwu, Anambra State and Tudun Murtala Special Primary School, Nasarawa LGA, Kano State, among others.
Reacting to the arrests and seizures, the Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa commended the officers and men of MMIA, MAKIA, SOU, Tincan, Delta, Edo, Oyo, Kano, Osun, Borno, Zamfara and Kwara Commands of the Agency.
Marwa expressed satisfaction, stating that their operational successes and those of their compatriots across the country, especially their balanced approach to drug supply reduction and drug demand reduction efforts are well appreciated.
