Get Guardian on Google• NDLEA intercepts N900m opioids, drugs concealed in female headwear, furniture, snacks
A 34-year-old Ugandan woman who travelled to Nigeria with members of her church for a prayer programme in Lagos has been arrested after allegedly attempting to smuggle 87 wraps of cocaine, weighing 1.15kg, concealed around her pelvic region, out of the country.
The suspect, identified as Farida Nansubuga, was arrested by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) on November 3, 2026, at the screening point of Terminal 2 of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Ikeja, Lagos.
She was reportedly preparing to board a flight to Uganda when a joint passenger screening exercise involving NDLEA operatives and aviation security personnel raised suspicion.
A preliminary body search indicated that she had concealed something around her pelvic region.
She was subsequently taken to a designated private search room, where operatives discovered 87 wraps of cocaine weighing 1.15kg, strapped around her waist and held in place beneath two layers of underwear.
During interrogation, Nansubuga reportedly told investigators that she arrived in Nigeria on October 29 with members of her church for a prayer session at the Synagogue Church of All Nations (SCOAN), Ikotun, Lagos.
She claimed that while the other members of her delegation returned to Uganda after the programme, she stayed behind to collect the drug on behalf of a friend, identified only as Joy, who lives in Uganda.
According to her account, Joy linked her with a contact in Nigeria, who arranged for a vehicle to convey her to a hotel on the morning of her scheduled departure.
It was there that a man allegedly handed her the cocaine and instructed her to conceal it beneath her clothing to evade airport security.
Although no definite payment was agreed, she reportedly expected to receive at least $1,000 after successfully delivering the consignment.
The arrest was among several major drug interceptions and raids across the country announced by the NDLEA, including the seizure of 750,000 tablets of Tapentadol worth about N900 million, cannabis shipments destined for the United Kingdom and Australia, and substances suspected to be used in producing synthetic cannabis.
At the airport’s import shed, NDLEA operatives on November 6 intercepted 750,000 tablets of Tapentadol 250mg, weighing 526kg and valued at N900 million.
The consignment, which arrived from Ahmedabad, India, aboard an Ethiopian Airlines flight on November 3, had been declared as Paracetamol 500mg tablets.
The shipment comprised 11 cartons packed in two wooden structures. Acting on suspicion that the declaration was false, operatives placed the consignment under surveillance before conducting a joint examination with officers of the Nigeria Customs Service and other security agencies.
The examination revealed that 10 of the 11 cartons contained the opioid tablets, while only the last carton held paracetamol tablets, allegedly used as cover.
In another operation at the airport on November 4, operatives intercepted 32 parcels of Loud, a potent strain of cannabis, weighing 16.15kg, concealed inside two wooden sofas in a consolidated cargo from Houston, Texas, United States.
A freight agent, Ibrahim Abdulwaheed Adewale, who presented himself to clear the consignment, was arrested.
A follow-up operation on November 6 led to the arrest of a 34-year-old Ibadan-based caterer, Adeoye Sarafa Ojo, who arrived to collect the package.
He allegedly told investigators that he was acting on the instructions of a friend, Taiwo Anuoluwapo Olusegun.
Similarly, the agency uncovered a syndicate allegedly importing chemicals used in the production of Colorado, a synthetic cannabis, from the United Kingdom.
The operation followed the interception of nine parcels of illicit substances concealed in two cartons of snacks labelled “Michael Tea Guy”.
The consignment arrived aboard an Air Peace flight from the UK on October 23.
Two of the parcels contained 1.2kg of cannabis, while forensic analysis confirmed that the remaining seven contained chemicals used in producing synthetic cannabis.
A 51-year-old freight agent, Afolabi Abiodun Wale, who came to clear the consignment, was arrested.
Two additional cartons addressed to the same recipient subsequently arrived from the UK aboard an Allied Air flight.
A sting operation conducted between October 26 and 28 led to the arrest of another 51-year-old suspect, Okwuite Benjamin Ojone, when he attempted to take delivery of the packages.
A search of the cartons uncovered three parcels weighing 3.3kg concealed in two packs of detergent and 11 plastic bottles containing mainly liquid substances weighing 16.25kg.
The total seizure from the operation amounted to 1.2kg of cannabis and 28.65kg of chemicals suspected to be used in producing synthetic cannabis.
At courier companies in Lagos, NDLEA operatives on November 3 intercepted 46 blocks of cannabis weighing 22.2kg, packed in two cartons and destined for the United Kingdom.
Earlier, on October 30, the agency intercepted 296 tablets of Swinol being shipped from Lagos to Australia.
Three separate shipments of tramadol destined for the UK were also intercepted. They comprised 20 capsules from Benin City and 96 capsules from Sapele, Delta State, concealed in vitamin C containers, as well as 600 tablets of Tramadol 225mg from Asaba, hidden inside female headwear.
In another operation in Lagos, operatives on November 6 arrested a 32-year-old suspect, Abubakar Ali, at Marine Beach, Apapa, where they discovered a stockpile of drugs in a small store he had constructed inside the sitting room of his apartment.
The recovered substances included 1.06kg of Tramadol 250mg, 1.27kg of Tramadol 225mg, 400g of pregabalin capsules, 355g of diazepam, 200ml of codeine and 6.07kg of cannabis.
Across the South-West, NDLEA operatives recorded major seizures in Ondo and Ekiti states.
In Ondo State, officers raided Odofin Road, Uso, on November 6, recovering 148 bags of cannabis weighing 1,818kg.
Earlier the same day, they raided a cannabis farm in Board Forest, where they destroyed a one-hectare plantation, recovered 242kg of the drug and arrested a 36-year-old suspect, Itoro Linus Akpan.
In neighbouring Ekiti State, a 53-year-old man, Agbo Paul Peter, was arrested at Osin Forest, Osin Ekiti, on November 5 with 216kg of cannabis and cannabis seeds.
In Edo State, operatives intercepted a Volkswagen Golf car loaded with 19 bags of cannabis weighing 201kg along the Auchi-Ibillo Road in Akoko-Edo Local Government Area on November 6.
The driver, Abdulmumid Isah, 39, and a passenger, Danako Godwin, 25, were arrested.
In a related operation, officers raided a suspected drug joint on Ihama Road, GRA, Benin City, arresting three suspects: Emmanuel Sunday, 25; Samuel Bala, 31; and Loveth Momodu, 20. Quantities of Colorado, Loud and cannabis were recovered.
In Taraba State, three suspects were arrested within two days at the NDLEA checkpoint in Lankaviri, Yorro Local Council, with 283 blocks of compressed cannabis weighing 226.255kg.
On November 5, operatives arrested Ibrahim Abdullahi, 45, with 156 blocks weighing 149.275kg, while Kabiru Usman, 25, was arrested the same day with 80 blocks weighing 40.07kg.
The following day, Babangida Babayo, 32, was arrested with 47 blocks weighing 36.91kg.
In Enugu State, a 57-year-old man, Celestine Uzochukwu Ejiakor, was arrested at a checkpoint in Eke Obinagu on November 3 with 44 blocks of cannabis weighing 22.5kg.
At another checkpoint in Ugwuoba, operatives arrested Godwin Shaapera, 40, with 24,000 capsules of tramadol weighing 13.4kg and 697g of ketamine.
In Delta State, a 30-year-old suspect, Edugua Othuke, was arrested in Ozoro, Isoko North Local Government Area, on October 31 with 10.54kg of skunk, 9.4kg of cannabis seeds and 4.3g of methamphetamine.
Another suspect, Akpofure Tobore, 34, was arrested at Upper Agbarho, Ughelli, on November 4 with quantities of skunk, tramadol, rohypnol and nitrous oxide, commonly known as laughing gas.
