- Intercepts UK techie, 75-year-old grandpa in nationwide drug raids
Two brothers, John Abugu (43) and Kenneth Abugu (31), were arrested by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Ikeja, Lagos, for attempting to smuggle five kilograms of cocaine to India. The illicit substance was ingeniously concealed within the walls of their suitcases.
The arrest, made on Thursday, April 3, 2025, followed actionable intelligence, according to a statement issued by Femi Babafemi, Director of Media and Advocacy at NDLEA Headquarters, Abuja. The suspects, who claimed to be travelling for medical reasons, were apprehended after NDLEA officers discovered the whitish powdery substance, later confirmed to be cocaine, during a routine search.
In a related operation on the same day, NDLEA’s MMIA Strategic Command intercepted 20-year-old Ghanaian-British national, Parker Darren Hazekia Osei, with 36 parcels of Loud — a potent strain of cannabis — weighing 19.40kg. The suspect, who claimed to be a Computer Science student at East London University, was arrested during inward clearance on an Ethiopian Airlines flight from Bangkok, Thailand. He reportedly picked up the drugs in Bangkok for delivery in Nigeria.
Elsewhere in the country, NDLEA operatives made several significant seizures and arrests:
In Kogi State, 33-year-old Ngozi Ogili was caught transporting 3kg of methamphetamine from Lagos to Abuja on March 31, 2025. A follow-up raid in the Apo Mechanic area of Abuja led to the confiscation of more synthetic cannabis strains, including Loud and Colorado.
In Abia State, a 75-year-old man, Nna Nnanna Felix, was arrested with 1.6kg of skunk in Ukwa West LGA on April 5. Another suspect, David Chinemerem (21), was caught with 2,050 ampoules of pentazocine in Aba on April 1.
In Yobe State, 381 bottles of codeine syrup and 108 tablets of tramadol were seized from Abdullahi Adamu on April 5 along the Potiskum-Damaturu road.
In Anambra State, raids at Osogbo Motor Park and a residence in Oba, Idemili LGA, led to the arrest of Obinna Sunday and the seizure of 195,000 tramadol pills. Ugochukwu Ojalanonye was also arrested at the park with 4.2kg of codeine syrup and 5.4kg of pentazocine.
In the Federal Capital Territory, 51-year-old Sunday Ayogu was apprehended with 25kg of skunk and 90.4g of methamphetamine during a raid at Wuse Market on April 3.
A major raid on April 4 in Cross River State resulted in the arrest of two women — Faith Effiong Etim (64) and Victoria Asuquo Etim (40). In a joint operation with the Nigerian Army, NDLEA operatives destroyed over 250,000 kilograms of cannabis spread across more than 100 hectares in Esuk-Odot, Odukpani LGA.
Meanwhile, the agency continued its War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) sensitization campaigns across schools, religious centers, and communities. Engagements included lectures at Cave City Secondary School, Ogidi, Anambra; Dan’iyau village, Batagarawa LGA, Katsina; and the Nigerian Association of Patent and Proprietary Medicine Dealers in Yola, Adamawa State.
NDLEA Chairman/CEO, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), lauded the efforts of officers across the country, emphasizing the agency’s balanced strategy in combating both the supply and demand for illicit drugs.
