Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have made major breakthroughs in the fight against drug trafficking, intercepting consignments of illicit substances ingeniously concealed in everyday items such as microwaves and lipsticks, while also arresting a notorious drug kingpin after a year-long manhunt.
At the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Ikeja, Lagos, NDLEA operatives seized 23 parcels of Loud—a potent strain of cannabis—weighing 11.3kg. The drugs were cleverly hidden in new microwave ovens imported from Thailand via Ethiopian Airlines on Monday, July 7, 2025. The operation, carried out based on credible intelligence, led to the arrest of one suspect, Ezenwegbu Chike.
In another airport operation, officials intercepted cocaine hidden inside ladies’ lipsticks destined for Malabo, Guinea. The shipment, which also contained hair attachments and face powder, yielded 400 grams of cocaine and phenacetine—a cocaine cutting agent. This seizure followed a similar one barely a week earlier when 420 grams of cocaine were recovered from 84 lipstick tubes intended for the UK. A businessman, Ezeikwelume Prince Afam, was arrested on Friday, July 11, in connection with the latest interception.
In a significant victory for law enforcement, a wanted drug kingpin, Okechukwu Izugha, alias Okey Omeogo, was arrested on Wednesday, July 9, at his wife’s shop in Ijesha Market, Lagos. Izugha had been on the run since August 2024 after a suspect, Obiora Joseph Agudosi, was caught with 9kg of cocaine in Orile, Lagos. Investigations traced the ownership of the drug to Izugha. Earlier in January, his wife, Maureen Izugha, was arrested and later convicted for possession of 500 grams of cocaine.
Elsewhere, NDLEA operatives destroyed over 28,000kg of skunk cultivated on three cannabis farms covering 11 hectares in Ewere Uzebba forest, Owan West LGA, Edo State, on Tuesday, July 8. The team came under heavy gunfire from armed cartel members during exfiltration but managed to repel the attack without casualties, though one operational vehicle was riddled with bullets.
In Lagos, a major haul of 1,400 compressed blocks of Ghana Loud cannabis weighing 700kg was recovered along Okun-Ajah Beach. Two suspects, Innocent Ejidiobo and Friday Paul, were arrested on the Ajah-Epe expressway with an additional 26kg of Ghana Loud, 123 grams of methamphetamine, and 45 grams of molly. Their delivery van was also seized.
Additional operations across several states yielded large volumes of drugs and arrests:
- Borno State: Godwin Chimaobi Nwaobi was arrested with over 18,000 ampoules of pentazocine, and another suspect was caught with 10,000 tramadol pills.
- Gombe State: 116,226 pills of tramadol and D-5 were seized from five suspects.
- Kogi State: Sabiu Bala was intercepted with 316.6kg of skunk on Okene-Lokoja expressway.
- Kaduna State: Haladu Suleiman, 38, was arrested with 58.8kg of skunk in Gubuchi, Ikara LGA.
- Taraba State: Three suspects were nabbed with 577,890 opioid pills and 1.16kg of skunk hidden in a petrol tanker’s tyre compartment.
- Kano State: NDLEA arrested three men with 48.1kg of skunk near Janguza Barracks.
In tandem with enforcement efforts, NDLEA continued its War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) sensitization campaign across the country. Awareness lectures were held in schools and communities in Cross River, Kano, Enugu, Lagos, Anambra, and Abia States, including sessions with traditional rulers in Bende, Abia.
NDLEA Chairman/CEO, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), commended officers across MMIA, SOU, and various state commands for their successful operations. He applauded their dual commitment to reducing both the supply and demand of illicit drugs across Nigeria.