A 34-year-old Ugandan woman, Farida Nansubuga, has been arrested by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) for allegedly attempting to smuggle 1.15 kilogrammes of cocaine from Nigeria to Uganda.
Nansubuga was arrested on Tuesday, November 3, at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos, while preparing to board a flight to her home country.
The agency disclosed that 87 wraps of cocaine were recovered from her pelvic region, where they had allegedly been strapped beneath two layers of underwear.
According to the NDLEA, the suspect arrived in Nigeria on October 29 alongside members of her church for a prayer programme at the Synagogue Church of All Nations in the Ikotun-Egbe area of Lagos State.
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However, while other members of the delegation returned to Uganda after the programme, Nansubuga reportedly remained behind to collect the illegal substance on behalf of a friend identified as Joy, who lives in Uganda.
The agency’s Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, said the suspect was intercepted during a joint passenger screening exercise involving NDLEA operatives and aviation security personnel at Terminal 2 of the airport.
Preliminary investigations reportedly revealed that a contact in Nigeria arranged transportation for her to a hotel on the morning of her departure, where an unidentified man handed over the cocaine.
During questioning, Nansubuga allegedly told investigators that she was instructed to conceal the drugs beneath her clothing to avoid detection by airport security officials.
She reportedly disclosed that although no specific payment was agreed upon, she expected to receive at least $1,000 after successfully delivering the consignment in Uganda.
Reacting to the arrest, NDLEA Chairman, Brigadier General Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd.), described the incident as evidence of how drug trafficking networks exploit religious activities and international travel to recruit couriers.
Marwa commended the officers involved in the operation and urged personnel across the agency’s commands to intensify efforts against drug trafficking and substance abuse.
In a separate operation at the Lagos airport, NDLEA operatives intercepted 750,000 tablets of Tapentadol 250mg weighing 526 kilogrammes and estimated to be worth N900 million.
The consignment, which arrived from Ahmedabad, India, aboard an Ethiopian Airlines flight, was allegedly declared as Paracetamol 500mg tablets.
The drugs were reportedly packed in 11 cartons concealed inside two wooden structures before being discovered by operatives.
The agency also intercepted 32 parcels of Loud weighing 16.15 kilogrammes, hidden inside two wooden sofas in a cargo shipment arriving from Houston, United States.
In another operation, officers recovered 600 tablets of Tramadol 225mg concealed in female headwear in a shipment destined for the United Kingdom.
Additionally, 46 blocks of cannabis weighing 22.2 kilogrammes were recovered from two cartons being transported to the UK.
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