Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have arrested a China-based Nigerian businessman and two Angolan nationals after recovering a combined 236 pellets of cocaine from them at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport and the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport.
The suspects — Ibeanu Vincent Chukwudulue, 34; Mbandu Martins Makiadi, 50; and Ngoma Wilson Fernando, 52 — were apprehended in separate intelligence-led operations in Abuja and Kano.
NDLEA disclosed that Ibeanu was intercepted on February 4 at the Abuja airport while attempting to board a Qatar Airways flight from Kano to China via Doha. A body scan reportedly confirmed ingestion of illicit substances, after which he excreted 52 pellets of cocaine weighing 735.95 grams under medical observation. He was said to have informed investigators that he previously operated a business on Lagos Island before relocating to Guangzhou, China, in 2024.
On the same day, NDLEA officers at the Kano airport arrested the two Angolan nationals during clearance for an Ethiopian Airlines flight to Istanbul via Addis Ababa. Body scans confirmed ingestion of narcotics. Makiadi excreted 76 wraps weighing 920 grams in seven excretions, while Fernando expelled 108 pellets weighing 1.33 kilograms in five excretions.
The Angolan suspects, both said to be from Hoji Ya Henda in Luanda, reportedly told investigators they were recruited by an automobile spare parts dealer who promised to pay them $3,000 each upon successful delivery of the drugs in Turkey.
In a related development, NDLEA operatives at the export shed of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport thwarted an attempt to smuggle 1.10 kilograms of cocaine to London concealed in processed cassava granules (garri).
Investigations linked the consignment to Olashupo Michael Oladimeji, a convicted drug trafficker currently serving a five-year sentence at the Ikoyi Correctional Centre. Oladimeji was previously convicted by a Federal High Court in Lagos in 2025 for conspiracy to export 17.90 kilograms of cocaine.
The latest shipment, hidden in a sack of garri packed inside a carton, was presented for export by Adedeji Yusuf Gbolahan, a staff member of Dimeji Express Logistics. NDLEA said preliminary findings indicated that the incarcerated convict coordinated the operation from custody and directed the logistics staff to collect the consignment in Oshodi before taking it to the airport.
In another case at the Lagos airport, a 44-year-old estate surveyor, Adelaja Taiwo Adetayo, was arrested for attempting to ship 1.70 kilograms of skunk concealed in five jerry cans to the United Kingdom. A cargo agent who processed the consignment was also arrested, leading to a follow-up operation that tracked down the suspect in Lagos.
In Abuja, NDLEA operatives intercepted a waybill package from Enugu containing a children’s toy guitar used to conceal 59.2 grams of “Canadian Loud,” a potent cannabis strain. A follow-up operation led to the arrest of the consignee, Henry Onuma, in Life Camp.
Meanwhile, in Lagos, NDLEA officers raided a four-bedroom duplex in the Lekki area allegedly used as a production hub for “Colorado,” a synthetic cannabis variant known locally as “Colos.” The operation followed the seizure of 73 cartons of nitrous oxide along the Ajah–Epe Expressway believed to be linked to the facility. Two suspects were arrested, while 13.2 kilograms of synthetic cannabis and precursor chemicals were recovered.
In Ibadan, Oyo State, operatives arrested a 45-year-old suspect, Oluwayemisi Bunmi, with 1.189 kilograms of Colos and skunk, 320 grams of methamphetamine, nearly ₦3 million in cash, and two vehicles.
Similarly, in Kwara State, NDLEA officers intercepted a vehicle conveying 105,400 pills of tramadol along the Bode Saadu axis, leading to the arrest of 43-year-old Kamilu Abdullahi. In Edo State, five suspects were apprehended during a raid on a forest camp in Ovia North East Local Government Area, where 563.5 kilograms of skunk were recovered.
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), commended officers across various commands for their vigilance and professionalism.
He reiterated the agency’s commitment to a balanced strategy of drug supply reduction and drug demand reduction, while intensifying its War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) sensitisation campaigns in schools and communities nationwide.
