The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has intensified its crackdown on drug trafficking with a series of arrests and seizures across the country, including the interception of two brothers attempting to smuggle cocaine out of Nigeria.
According to a statement released on Sunday, NDLEA operatives at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, arrested siblings John and Kenneth Abugu on April 3, 2025. The pair were caught with 5 kilograms of cocaine ingeniously concealed in the walls of their suitcases while trying to board a flight to India.
The suspects claimed they were travelling for medical treatment, but officers—acting on credible intelligence—conducted a thorough search that revealed the illicit substance.
In a related operation on the same day, NDLEA officers intercepted a 20-year-old Ghanaian-British national, Parker Darren Hazekia Osei, during the arrival clearance of an Ethiopian Airlines flight from Bangkok. Osei, who identified himself as a Computer Science student at East London University, was found in possession of 36 parcels of “Loud,” a potent strain of cannabis, weighing 19.4kg.
He admitted picking up the consignment in Bangkok and was en route to deliver it in Nigeria.
The agency also made several other arrests across Nigeria.
In Kogi State, a 33-year-old woman, Ngozi Ogili, was caught with 3kg of methamphetamine while traveling by commercial bus from Lagos to Abuja. A follow-up operation at her Abuja delivery point in the Apo mechanic area uncovered more synthetic drugs, including Loud and Colorado.
Also in Abia State, officers arrested a 75-year-old man, Nna Nnanna Felix, with 1.6kg of cannabis in Ukwa West LGA. Another suspect, David Chinemerem, was caught with over 2,000 ampoules of pentazocine in Aba.
Along the Potiskum-Damaturu road in Yobe State, one Abdullahi Adamu was arrested with 381 bottles of codeine syrup and 108 tramadol tablets.
A major raid at Osogbo motor park in Anambra State and a residence in Oba, Idemili LGA, led to the arrest of Obinna Sunday and the recovery of 195,000 tramadol pills. Another suspect, Ugochukwu Ojalanonye, was found with large quantities of codeine syrup and pentazocine.
During a raid in the Wuse market, Abuja (FCT) a 51-year-old Sunday Ayogu was caught with 25kg of cannabis and nearly 100g of methamphetamine.
In collaboration with the Nigerian Army, NDLEA operatives arrested two women—Faith Effiong Etim and Victoria Asuquo Etim—during a raid on cannabis plantations in Esuk-Odot, Odukpani LGA, Cross River State where over 100 hectares of farmland and approximately 250,000kg of cannabis were destroyed.
Alongside these enforcement efforts, the agency continues its War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) sensitization campaign in schools, religious institutions, workplaces, and communities.
Commending the officers for their dedication, NDLEA Chairman and CEO, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), praised the agency’s “balanced approach” to both drug supply reduction and drug demand reduction, calling the recent successes a testament to their effectiveness.
