Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have arrested a 38-year-old businessman, Philip Tunde, with 4.80 kilogrammes of cocaine concealed in the soles of shoes and the railings of travelling bags at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos.
Tunde was arrested on September 27, 2026, at the joint screening point of Terminal 2 of the airport while preparing to board a Royal Air Maroc flight to Milan, Italy.
The NDLEA Director, Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, said a search of the suspect’s luggage led to the discovery of 16 parcels of cocaine concealed in the soles of eight pairs of trainers and canvas shoes.
Another 195 wraps of the illicit drug were discovered hidden in the railings of four travelling bags.
During interrogation, the suspect reportedly told investigators that he paid N16 million in cash for the cocaine concealed in the shoes, while the consignment hidden in the travelling bags was intended for delivery to his partner in Italy.
The latest arrest formed part of a series of interdiction operations carried out by NDLEA commands across the country.
In Lagos, operatives recovered 209,000 tablets of tramadol from an unoccupied compound at Divine Estate, Ago Palace.
In a separate operation, a 23-year-old suspect, Ekundayo Taiwo, was arrested after 61 grammes of Colorado and 24 grammes of methamphetamine were intercepted in a waybill package.
In Kogi State, NDLEA officers intercepted a Lagos-Abuja commuter bus along the Okene-Lokoja Highway and recovered two sachets containing methamphetamine weighing one kilogramme from a waybill.
A follow-up investigation led to the arrest of the alleged owner of the consignment, 29-year-old Michael Chukwuememka Uzoma, in Utako, Abuja.
In Edo State, operatives recovered 32.2kg of cannabis sativa from the residence of a suspect, 35-year-old Saturday Omimi, in Uyere community, Ovia North-East Local Government Area.
Another suspect, 23-year-old Osazuwa Iyabor Michael, was arrested at Auchi Bypass, Benin City, with Loud, Colorado, tramadol, methamphetamine, Swinol and Molly.
In Plateau State, the agency arrested 47-year-old Idris Mohammed Kurra, a fugitive who allegedly jumped court bail six years ago.
Kurra was facing trial before the Federal High Court in Jos over alleged possession and dealing in 198kg of skunk when he reportedly absconded after being granted bail in December 2020.
The NDLEA said its commands nationwide also continued their War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) sensitisation campaigns in schools, worship centres, workplaces and communities.
The NDLEA Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (rtd.), commended the officers involved in the operations and urged them to sustain intelligence-driven action against drug trafficking networks.
Marwa also called for the continued implementation of the agency’s balanced approach to drug control, combining enforcement with prevention and public awareness.