The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested a 50-year-old widow and fashion designer, Mrs. Ifeoma Henrietta Ezewuike, for attempting to traffic 1.3 kilograms of cocaine using a fake pregnancy belly as cover.
The suspect, a mother of one and owner of Golden Star Creation in Okota, Lagos, was apprehended on Friday, August 22, 2025, at Jibowu bus terminal in Yaba while heading to Abuja with the illicit consignment. A follow-up raid on her residence led to the recovery of 200 grams of a cocaine-cutting agent. Ezewuike allegedly confessed that she inherited the illegal trade from her late husband, while maintaining she had run her fashion business for two decades.
The arrest was part of a string of nationwide operations in which NDLEA operatives intercepted large drug consignments, dismantled criminal networks, and destroyed cannabis plantations across multiple states.
In Lagos, NDLEA officers intercepted 90 parcels of “Loud,” a strong strain of cannabis weighing 48.6kg, concealed in cartons of kitchen sinks imported from the United States.
In Adamawa, a raid on the home of notorious dealer Idris Garba led to the seizure of 354,480 pills of tramadol from vehicles driven into Yola by his associate, who was arrested on the spot. Similarly, seizures were recorded in Kogi, Kano, and Kwara states, with operatives recovering hundreds of thousands of opioid pills, codeine syrup, and cannabis consignments.
Massive destruction of cannabis farms also took place, including 25,500kg in Delta, 25,025kg in Ondo, 14,233kg in Edo, and 7,500kg in Taraba.
In Abuja, two dispatch riders were arrested in Jabi while distributing illicit substances, including pentazocine injections and skunk.
Across the country, NDLEA also sustained its War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) sensitization campaigns in schools, mosques, workplaces, and communities.
Commending the operatives, NDLEA Chairman/Chief Executive, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), urged officers nationwide to sustain the agency’s balanced approach in tackling drug trafficking and abuse.