The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested a 42-year-old Angolan businessman, Mbala Dajou Abuba, for attempting to smuggle a large quantity of cocaine to Istanbul, Turkey. Abuba was caught at the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport (MAKIA), Kano, after he ingested 120 wraps of cocaine weighing 1.829 kilograms.
NDLEA spokesperson Femi Babafemi confirmed the arrest on Sunday, stating that Abuba was intercepted on Tuesday, February 25, 2025, while trying to board an Egypt Air flight to Turkey via Cairo. A body scan revealed that he had ingested illicit drugs, leading authorities to place him under observation. He later excreted the 120 wraps in seven sessions.
The suspect confessed to being in the delivery business in Angola before getting involved in drug trafficking.
More Arrests and Seizures Across Nigeria
Abuba’s case was just one of several drug-related arrests and seizures made by the NDLEA in the past week.
In Lagos, NDLEA officers at Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Ikeja, arrested Okeke Ebuka Igwe, an auto spare parts dealer, on Monday, February 24. He was caught trying to smuggle 1.10kg of cocaine hidden in vehicle propellers to Angola. “He claimed to be a businessman selling auto parts at the ASPANDA Trade Fair Complex in Lagos,” Babafemi said.
Meanwhile, in Imo State, a special NDLEA operations unit stopped a major cocaine trafficking attempt. Ezechi Iyke Cyprian was arrested on Sunday, February 23, with 5.40kg of cocaine concealed in his Toyota Sienna bus while traveling to Owerri. Officials had been tracking him for weeks before his arrest.
At the Tincan Seaport in Lagos, security agencies discovered 128 parcels of Canadian Loud, a highly potent strain of cannabis. The drugs, weighing 63.75kg, were hidden inside two mattresses in the trunk of a Toyota Venza imported from Canada. The consignment was seized on Friday, February 28, during a joint examination by NDLEA, Customs, and other agencies. The suspect, 44-year-old Bamidele Joseph, was taken into custody.
Massive Drug Farms Destroyed in Delta and Edo
In Delta State, NDLEA operatives, with support from the military, stormed a 20-hectare farmland in the Innam-Abbi/Orogun community on Thursday, February 27. Over 50,000kg of cannabis was destroyed, and five suspects were arrested. Those arrested included Augustine Subaru, 45; Ukoba Malachukwu, 53; Odalonu Emmanuel, 40; Esuabom Macaulay, 35; and Itoje Safe, 54.
Another operation in Delta led to the interception of a Mercedes-Benz truck carrying 101 bags of skunk (a strong form of cannabis) weighing 1,111kg along the Abraka-Orogun road on Friday, February 28.
Similarly, in Edo State, NDLEA officers raided warehouses in Okpuje community, Owan West Local Government Area, on Saturday, March 1. They seized 1,409.5kg of skunk and destroyed over 100 jumbo bags of the psychoactive substance. Two suspects, Oikelomen Osere Monday, 38, and Glory Iroyo, 42, were arrested.
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Other Arrests Nationwide
The NDLEA also made significant arrests in other states:
– In Oyo State, Michael Omoloki, 46, was arrested on the Lagos-Ibadan expressway with 58.5kg of skunk.
– In Kwara, a Beninese national, Lawali Mohammed, was caught with 2,980 tablets of tramadol and dozens of diazepam pills at Eiyenkorin expressway, Ilorin, on Monday, February 24.
– In Osun, Sunday Ogbu, 45, was arrested on February 27 after being caught with 1.05kg of skunk hidden in detergent soap and biscuit cartons along the Ibadan-Gbongan expressway.
– In Zamfara, Ayuba Mustapha, 30, was arrested in Tsafe on February 23 with 24,700 tramadol pills.
– In Borno, Mustapha Shettima, 50, was caught with 31kg of skunk, 1,000 tramadol pills, and N720,000 in cash along Bama road, Maiduguri, on February 26.
– In Kano, Adamu Idris, 40, was caught the same day on Zaria road with 140 blocks of cannabis weighing 73.5kg.
NDLEA Expands Anti-Drug Awareness Campaign
In addition to its enforcement actions, NDLEA continued its War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) awareness campaign across the country. The agency conducted sensitization programs in schools, churches, workplaces, and communities.
Some of the schools visited included Ansarudeen Junior Secondary School in Ojuelegba, Lagos; Loretto Girls Special Science School in Adazi-Nnukwu, Anambra; and Tudun Murtala Special Primary School in Nasarawa Local Government Area of Kano.
NDLEA Chairman Commends Officers
The Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brigadier General Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd.), praised the efforts of officers across multiple states, including Lagos, Kano, Edo, Delta, Borno, and Zamfara.
“The operational successes of our officers show our commitment to reducing drug supply and drug abuse. We will continue to dismantle drug networks and ensure that those involved face justice,” Marwa said.
The NDLEA’s latest operations highlight the agency’s determination to combat drug trafficking and abuse in Nigeria, with ongoing efforts to apprehend traffickers and raise public awareness about the dangers of drug use.