The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has intensified its nationwide crackdown on illicit drug trafficking with the arrest of a businesswoman attempting to smuggle cocaine to China, the seizure of a massive cannabis shipment valued at over ₦12.3 billion, and the dismantling of a syndicate that plants drugs in the luggage of unsuspecting passengers.
Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, disclosed the major breakthroughs in a statement on Sunday.
According to him, 38-year-old businesswoman, Iwebema Ogechi Peace, was arrested on Sunday, June 21, 2026, at the departure hall of Terminal 2 of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Ikeja, Lagos, while preparing to board a Qatar Airways flight to Beijing, China.
The suspect, who claimed she frequently travelled to China to purchase goods for sale in Nigeria, was apprehended following credible intelligence. A thorough search of her checked luggage uncovered four large parcels of cocaine weighing 7.5 kilograms, expertly concealed in a specially constructed false bottom compartment of her suitcase.
In another landmark operation, operatives from two NDLEA Special Operations Units intercepted a container carrying 4,959 kilograms of Canadian Loud, a potent strain of cannabis, with an estimated street value of ₦12,397,500,000.
The illicit consignment, packed in 195 large sacks inside a 40-foot container alongside a Ford and a Nissan vehicle, was recovered during a joint examination involving officers of the NDLEA Apapa Strategic Command, the Nigeria Customs Service, other security agencies, and port stakeholders at the Apapa Port Complex in Lagos on Wednesday, June 23, 2026.
Babafemi said the container had remained under NDLEA surveillance for more than four weeks after arriving from Toronto, Canada. It was tracked through Montreal, Morocco, Tin Can Port, and finally to Apapa Port before operatives moved in to seize the shipment.
In the Federal Capital Territory, NDLEA operatives, working with their counterparts in Anambra State, uncovered a criminal syndicate that secretly plants illicit drugs in the luggage of unsuspecting interstate passengers.
The operation followed the interception of a Sienna bus travelling from Nnewi, Anambra State, at Abaji in the FCT on Saturday, June 20, where officers recovered 467.7 grams of methamphetamine concealed inside a black nylon bag hidden within a sack of clothing bearing the recipient’s phone number.
A follow-up investigation led to the arrest of the intended recipient, Mrs. Gloria Peter, at Utako Motor Park in Abuja. After she denied ownership of the package, investigators arrested bus loaders in Nnewi, one of whom confessed that the drugs had been secretly placed in her luggage on the instruction of the bus driver, Abdurrazak Isah. The driver subsequently identified fellow passenger Onyebuchi Victor Okoye as the true owner of the narcotics, leading to his arrest.
In another operation, operatives of the NDLEA Special Operations Unit arrested 57-year-old Ikechukwu Uwakwe at the Iddo Motor Park in Lagos on Saturday, June 27, while attempting to transport 209.5 kilograms of Scottish Loud, another potent cannabis strain, to Enugu State.
Similarly, NDLEA operatives intercepted a truck on Mile 2 Bridge in Lagos and arrested two nationals of the Republic of Benin, Hossou Tito Julien, 30, and Mancellim Dossou, 19, alongside Nigerian suspect Jackson ThankGod.
A search of the vehicle uncovered 558,900 pills of Tramadol 250mg concealed inside a fabricated compartment. The truck was conveying the illicit consignment from Togo through the Republic of Benin into Nigeria.
On Friday, June 26, operatives also arrested Lucky Abonga and Osas Azamobo along the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway while transporting 118 kilograms of skunk concealed among legitimate goods in a truck heading from Lagos to Onitsha, Anambra State.
In a separate raid at 15 Olumokun Street, Amukoko, Lagos, officers arrested Helen Ese Idiji, 40, and Rashidat Sa’adullah, 53, recovering 28.8 kilograms of skunk. Investigations revealed that Helen allegedly stored illicit drugs at Rashidat’s residence before distributing them to customers.
Beyond enforcement operations, the Agency sustained its War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) campaign across schools and communities nationwide. Sensitization programmes were held at Government Girls Science Secondary School, Damaturu, Yobe State; Adesalu Primary School, Ibeju-Lekki, Lagos; Government Girls Secondary School, Badawa, Kano State; School of Science and Islamic Studies, Ankpa, Kogi State; and Community Secondary School, Ezimo, Udenu Local Government Area of Enugu State, among others.
Commending officers and men of the MMIA, Special Operations Units, Apapa, FCT, Anambra and Lagos Commands for the successful operations, the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brigadier General Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), praised their commitment to reducing drug supply while sustaining nationwide drug abuse prevention campaigns.
He urged officers across the country to remain steadfast in the fight against drug trafficking and abuse, stressing that the Agency would continue to intensify efforts to safeguard Nigeria from the menace of illicit drugs.
