NDLEA Arrests India-Bound Businessman with Cocaine, Seizes Drugs Worth ₦3.6 Billion in Lagos -

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested a 48-year-old businessman, Nwankwo Onyebuchi, for attempting to smuggle 1.55 kilograms of cocaine to India through the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos.

According to a statement issued on Sunday by the agency’s Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, the suspect was arrested at the departure hall of Terminal II while preparing to board a Qatar Airways flight to New Delhi, India.

NDLEA operatives discovered the cocaine carefully concealed inside the walls and railings of Onyebuchi’s luggage during a routine search.

Investigators said the suspect, who operates a marble business in Lagos, admitted that he sold his business and other personal assets to raise ₦23 millionto purchase the illegal consignment. He reportedly planned to sell the drugs in India for as much as ₦100 million.

In a related operation, NDLEA officers raided a warehouse in the Ago Palace area of Okota, Lagos, where they recovered 377,600 bottles of codeine-based syrup valued at over ₦2.6 billion.

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The agency also carried out another raid at a residence in the Ipaja area of Lagos, arresting a suspected drug kingpin, Shoremi Kayode, and recovering 324 kilograms of Colorado, a synthetic strain of cannabis, with an estimated street value of ₦972 million.

Several arrests and drug seizures were also recorded in Kwara, Oyo, Delta, Plateau, Kano, and Edo states, where operatives recovered large quantities of tramadol, codeine, methamphetamine, cannabis, and other controlled substances.

NDLEA Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Brigadier General Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd.), commended officers across the affected commands for their efforts in combating drug trafficking while maintaining a balance between drug supply reduction and public awareness campaigns.

The agency reaffirmed its commitment to intensifying the fight against drug abuse and trafficking across the country.