The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested a 52-year-old businessman, Ejiofor Godwin Emeka, at the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport (MAKIA), Kano, after he excreted 127 wraps of cocaine concealed in his body.
Ejiofor, who operates boutiques in Lagos and Onitsha, Anambra State, was intercepted on arrival from Bangkok, Thailand, via an Ethiopian Airlines flight on Wednesday, October 8, 2025, following credible intelligence.
According to the NDLEA, a body scan revealed that the suspect ingested illicit drugs and also hid some in his private part. A total of 58 wraps of cocaine were recovered from his underwear, while he later excreted 69 additional pellets during observation, bringing the total to 1.388 kilograms of cocaine.
In a related operation, NDLEA operatives in Lagos intercepted three consignments of illicit drugs heading to the United Kingdom on Thursday, 9th and Friday, 10th October. One of the shipments contained 1.74kg of methamphetamine cleverly hidden inside blocks of glass ceramics, while other parcels contained pentazocine and tramadol injections as well as tramadol capsules disguised as Vitamin C tablets.
Similarly, NDLEA foiled attempts by drug syndicates to export 2.6kg of skunk and 422 grams of tapentadol concealed in black soap tablets bound for Turkey; 169 grams of cocaine hidden in ladies’ handbags headed for Australia; and 568 grams of Loud, a strong strain of cannabis, packed in herbal containers destined for the United Arab Emirates.
At the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Ikeja, Lagos, NDLEA operatives also intercepted 27,510 pills of Rohypnol concealed in sachets of alcoholic drinks bound for South Africa. Two suspects — a freight agent and a cab driver — were initially arrested, leading to a follow-up operation that resulted in the arrest of the alleged mastermind, Samuel Omoruyi (alias Yellow), 46, at Oyingbo Market on October 2.
On the same day, an Italy-based businessman, Enehizena Augustine Uyimwen, was caught while attempting to export 3,700 pills of tramadol (225mg) and 2,600 tablets of tapentadol (200mg) hidden in food items to Italy. He confessed to trafficking the drugs for a fee of €945.
Elsewhere, NDLEA operatives carried out successful raids and arrests across several states. In Edo State, a search of Emmanuel Sunday’s residence in Ugbekpe Ekperi, Etsako Central LGA, led to the recovery of 47kg of skunk. In Osun State, Nureni Ayobami Eleweodo (48) and Oladejo Taiwo (52) were arrested at Omifufun village, Ife South LGA, with 635kg of skunk recovered from their Toyota Hiace bus, while two others — Timothy Omiwole (41) and Isaac Achiatan (36) — were caught at the same location with 100kg of the same substance.
In Rivers State, Okoro Julius (20) and Onyebuchi Nwibo (25) were apprehended with 8.5kg of skunk, while Sulaiman Kalalu (46) was arrested in Katsina State after 29.5kg of the drug was found in his home at Bayan Asiti, Jibia town.
Similarly, NDLEA officers in Niger State arrested Yisa Daniel (29) at New Bussa with 22,000 tramadol capsules, 800 pentazocine injections, and 150,000 Exol-5 tablets. In Ondo State, 312kg of skunk was seized from a bush at Ologede Camp, Ogbese, while in another operation along the Benin–Lagos Expressway, 141.8kg of skunk was recovered from two suspects, Francis John (39) and Adeyemi Taiwo (46).
In Kaduna, NDLEA operatives arrested Rufai Ahmed (alias Farin Malam), 27, at the Abuja–Kaduna toll gate while conveying 150,000 Exol-5 pills from Lagos to Katsina.
Meanwhile, the NDLEA continued its War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) sensitization campaigns across the country, with lectures held in secondary schools and communities in Adamawa, Ebonyi, Katsina, Enugu, Niger, Kogi, Anambra, Rivers, Kano, and Osun States.
Commending the officers for their efforts, the NDLEA Chairman and Chief Executive, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), praised the professionalism and tenacity of operatives and urged them to sustain the momentum in the agency’s drug control operations.
