The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has intercepted cocaine and cannabis hidden in microwaves and lipsticks at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Ikeja, Lagos.
A notorious drug kingpin, Okechukwu Izugha (a.k.a Okey Omeogo), was arrested in connection with the cocaine seizure after 12 months of going into hiding. Izugha was apprehended by operatives of a Special Operations Unit of the NDLEA at his wife’s shop in Ijesha market, Lagos, on Wednesday, July 9.
The Director of Media and Advocacy at NDLEA, Mr. Femi Babafemi, disclosed this in a statement made available to Thelensng on Sunday.
“Izugha came under NDLEA radar on 7th August 2024 after a 9kg cocaine was recovered from a suspect Obiora Joseph Agudosi at a motor park in Orile, Lagos while going to deliver the consignment in the southeast. Izugha was identified as the owner of the seized drug.
“In the course of investigating the kingpin and his network, his wife Maureen Izugha was arrested with 500grams of cocaine at her beverages store in Ijesha market on 21st January 2025. She was thereafter arraigned in court, convicted and sentenced to two years imprisonment. Unknown to him that NDLEA was still on his trail, the wanted kingpin came out of his hiding and was promptly arrested last Wednesday,” the statement noted.
Babafemi revealed that NDLEA operatives intercepted the parcels of Loud (a strong strain of cannabis) concealed in microwaves imported from Thailand and wraps of cocaine built into ladies’ lipsticks going to Guinea at the MMIA, noting that the Loud consignment was part of a consolidated cargo that came in two tranches on an Ethiopian Airlines flight from Bangkok, Thailand through Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
“Based on credible intelligence, the cargo was subjected to thorough search during which 23 parcels of loud weighing 11.3kg concealed in new microwaves were recovered on Monday 7th July 2025. A suspect Ezenwegbu Chike has been arrested in connection with the seizure.”
The spokesperson said that barely a week after a total of 420grams of cocaine factory fitted in 84 pieces of female lipsticks heading to the UK were seized at a courier company in Lagos, NDLEA operatives at the export shed of the Lagos airport intercepted another consignment of cocaine built into ladies’ lipsticks as part of a cargo containing hair attachments, face powder, and other items heading to Malabo, Guinea.
He added that no less than 400grams of cocaine and phenacetine, a cutting agent, were recovered from the lipsticks when dismantled while a businessman at the Trade Fair Complex, Ojo area of Lagos, Ezeikwelume Prince Afam, was arrested on Friday, July 11, in connection with the seizure.
In Edo State, no fewer than 28,054.053 kilograms of skunk (a local strain of cannabis) were destroyed on three farms measuring over 11 hectares at Ewere Uzebba forest in Owan West Local Government Area on Tuesday, July 8, while 82kg of already processed cannabis was recovered from the location.
However, as the operatives were leaving the forest, they came under gunfire from armed cartel members. They repelled the attack without sustaining any injuries, although one of their operational vehicles was riddled with bullets.
Similarly, 1,400 compressed blocks of Ghana Loud (a strain of cannabis), weighing 700kg and a Ford delivery truck marked JJJ 698 YJ were recovered at Okun -Ajah Beach, Lagos, while two suspects: Innocent Ejidiobo and Friday Paul were nabbed along Ajah -Epe Expressway by NDLEA operatives on Friday, July 11.
Babafemi highlighted the prohibited substances recovered them, including 26kg Ghana Loud, 123grams of methamphetamine and 45grams of Molly as well as their delivery van with registration number AJK 191 LG.
Elsewhere (Borno State), the anti-narcotics agency arrested Godwin Chimaobi Nwaobi, 42, with 18,759 ampoules of pentazocine, pills of tramadol and rohypnol at Njimtilo, Maiduguri, on Saturday, July 12.
This follows the seizure of 10,000 pills of tramadol from another suspect Abdulrahman Bello Ahmadu, 34, on Wednesday, July 9.
The agency also recovered a total of 116,226 pills of tramadol and D-5 from five suspects: Hafiz Bello, 22; Isah Suleman, 48; Kabiru Muhammed, 30; Abdullahi Adamu, 30; and Abel Murna, 25, at Gombe main market and along Gombe-Kano road in Gombe State on Tuesday, July 8 and Saturday, July 12.
In the same vein, a suspect identified as Sabiu Bala was apprehended along Okene-Lokoja Expressway in Kogi State on Thursday, July 10 while conveying 316.600kg skunk and another suspect Haladu Suleiman, 38, was nabbed by NDLEA operatives with 58.805kg of same substance in Gubuchi area of Ikara LGA, Kaduna State.
The statement added: “In Taraba State, three suspects: Auwal Ibrahim, 30; Lukman Ibrahim, 18; and Hamza Adamu, 25, were on Saturday 12th July arrested by NDLEA officers at Lanka Viri checkpoint while conveying 577,890 pills of opioids and 1.160kg skunk concealed in tyre compartment of a petrol tanker marked MUB 334 YH. The arrest of the trio on Tuesday 8th July followed credible intelligence. Three other suspects: Shamsudini Abdullahi, 35; Adamu Abdullahi,21; and Magaji Rabo, 26, were nabbed with 48.1kg skunk at Janguza barracks area of Kano State by NDLEA operatives on Wednesday 9th July.”
Meanwhile, the War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) social advocacy activities by NDLEA Commands continued across the country in the past week.
The activities included WADA sensitisation lecture delivered to students and staff of Word of Promise High School, Calabar, Cross River; Government Girls Arabic Senior Secondary School, Indabo Wudil, Kano; Community Secondary School, Umundu, Enugu; Okemagba Senior High School, Epe, Lagos; Bishop Gideon Otubelu Memorial College, Ukpo, Anambra; and traditional rulers in Bende area of Abia 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, SOU, Edo, Lagos, Taraba, Kano, Kogi, Gombe, Borno and kaduna Commands of the Agency.
Marwa also praised their counterparts in all the commands across the country for pursuing a fair balance between their drug supply reduction and drug demand reduction efforts.
