
Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have uncovered a major drug trafficking attempt at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Ikeja, Lagos, intercepting cocaine cleverly concealed in food flasks.
According to a statement issued by the agency’s spokesperson, Femi Babafemi, the illicit consignment comprising 12 large parcels of cocaine weighing 2.80 kilograms was hidden in the false bottoms of food flasks.
The shipment was intended for export to the United Kingdom via a Virgin Atlantic flight.
The operation, carried out on April 9, 2026, at the airport’s export shed, led to the immediate arrest of two cargo agents identified as Ama Obinna Ufeim (33) and Ogabi Monday Akorede (39).
Further investigation revealed that a freight forwarder, Agoro Tajudeen Moninuola (52), was behind the shipment.
He was subsequently apprehended in a follow-up operation.
In a related development, NDLEA operatives at the airport’s import shed intercepted another consignment 2.90 kilograms of “Loud,” a potent strain of cannabis hidden in snack food packs.
The shipment had arrived from the United States aboard a Delta Air Lines flight on April 8.
Two clearing agents, Animashaun Moshood Adetunji and Mercy Gabriel Oluwasegun, were initially arrested in connection with the seizure.
This led to the arrest of the consignee, Saheed Adeshina Adegoke, a 29-year-old fashion designer, at his residence in Ogba, Lagos.
Beyond Lagos, the agency intensified its crackdown on drug trafficking across several states.
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In Kaduna State, NDLEA officers intercepted a cement-laden trailer along the Kaduna–Zaria highway carrying 847 kilograms of skunk, a variant of cannabis. The driver, Umar Haruna (33), was arrested.
In Cross River State, operatives, supported by military personnel, raided a forest in the Uwet community of Akamkpa Local Government Area, where they destroyed 15,000 kilograms of skunk cultivated across six hectares of farmland. Additionally, 119 kilograms of the substance was recovered, and a 53-year-old suspect, Alice Udoh, was arrested.
Similarly, in Edo State, a cannabis farm located in Saboro Camp, Ovia North East Local Government Area, was raided, leading to the destruction of 2,281.43 kilograms of the substance.
Three suspects Nweke Smart (27), Christopher Egbe (62), and Monday Ayan (45) were arrested, with 38.5 kilograms of cannabis and seeds recovered.
In Delta State, two suspects, Sunday Odili (49) and Ijenebe Joshua (39), were apprehended with 87.838 kilograms of skunk and cannabis seeds in the Okwo area.
Back in Lagos, NDLEA operatives also arrested two suspects, Chinedu Ogbekene and Zindozin Bienvenu, along the Mile 2 axis of the Lagos–Badagry Expressway.
They were found transporting 11,900 capsules of tramadol and 400 ampoules of phenobarbital injection intended for export to Ghana.
On the same day, a raid on a two-storey building in the Petti area of Lagos Island led to the recovery of 95.8 kilograms of skunk.
Commending the operations, NDLEA Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Brigadier General Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd.), praised officers for maintaining a strong balance between enforcement and public sensitisation under the agency’s War Against Drug Abuse campaign.
He urged personnel across the country to sustain the momentum in the ongoing fight against illicit drug trafficking.
The series of coordinated operations highlights the agency’s continued vigilance in disrupting drug networks and safeguarding public health and national security.
