Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have arrested a 55-year-old Lagos businessman, Onuigbo Ndubisi Chinedu, for allegedly attempting to export 3.30 kilograms of cocaine concealed in the walls of cartons containing foodstuffs destined for the United Kingdom.
The suspect, who trades in clothing at the popular Balogun Market on Lagos Island, was arrested on Thursday, July 23, 2026, following the interception of the cocaine consignment at the export shed of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos, a day earlier.
According to a statement issued on Sunday by the NDLEA Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, the investigation initially led to the arrest of three cargo agents—Nkwor Onyekachukwu Justina, Adeleke Abiola Taoheed and Ukanwa Grace Pilgrim—who handled the shipment. Their arrest subsequently led to the apprehension of Kenneth Okakpu, who delivered the consignment for export, before investigators eventually identified and arrested Chinedu as the alleged kingpin behind the trafficking syndicate.
Babafemi disclosed that Chinedu was arrested while allegedly making another attempt to send a fresh consignment of cocaine to the United Kingdom, describing the operation as a major breakthrough in the agency’s ongoing efforts to dismantle international drug trafficking networks.
In a separate operation, NDLEA operatives arrested 31-year-old entrepreneur, Emmanuella Chukwu-Edo, at her residence in Surulere, Lagos, after intercepting a 2.80-kilogram consignment of Loud, a potent synthetic strain of cannabis, imported from the United States aboard a United Airlines flight. She was arrested on Tuesday, July 21, following the seizure of the illicit consignment a day earlier.
The agency also recorded another significant seizure at the Lagos airport, where operatives recovered 2.24 million pills of Tapentadol 250mg with an estimated street value exceeding ₦2.2 billion. The shipment, which originated from India aboard an Air Maroc flight, was intercepted during a joint cargo examination based on intelligence gathered by the agency.
The seizure came shortly after NDLEA officers intercepted another shipment containing tramadol concealed inside containers of black soap and bound for the United Kingdom at a courier company in Lagos.
At the Apapa Seaport, Lagos, NDLEA operatives uncovered a massive cache of Canadian Loud concealed inside three vehicles packed in a shipping container. The seizure comprised 4,777 sachets weighing 2,388.5 kilograms with an estimated street value of over ₦7.1 billion.
Beyond drug enforcement, the agency also intercepted illegal ammunition in separate operations. In Katsina State, operatives arrested 30-year-old Mustapha Sani during a patrol at Baure in Safana Local Government Area, where he was found with 323 rounds of military-grade ammunition, including 200 rounds of 7.62mm and 123 rounds of 7.6mm ammunition concealed on his person.
Similarly, another 30-year-old suspect, Abubakar Amadu, was arrested during a stop-and-search operation at Jere along the Abuja-Kaduna Expressway with 73 rounds of 7.62mm ammunition hidden inside kegs of red oil. The NDLEA said both suspects had been handed over to the appropriate security agency for further investigation.
In Edo State, the anti-narcotics agency also intensified its crackdown on illicit drug trafficking, raiding a warehouse in Ilushi Community, Esan South-East Local Government Area, where operatives recovered 1,286 kilograms of cannabis and 86 kilograms of cannabis seeds.
The operation further led to the arrest of 45-year-old Ojore Onweze, who was found with 60 kilograms of skunk, and George Agwumede, 30, who was apprehended with 13 kilograms of the same substance.
The NDLEA said the series of coordinated operations across the country underscores its sustained commitment to dismantling drug trafficking syndicates, intercepting illicit substances before they reach local and international markets, and strengthening collaboration with other security agencies to combat organised crime.