Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have arrested a 55-year-old Lagos trader, Onuigbo Ndubisi Chinedu, for allegedly attempting to export 3.30 kilogrammes of cocaine concealed inside cartons of food items destined for the United Kingdom.
Chinedu, a clothing dealer at Balogun Market on Lagos Island, was arrested on Thursday, July 23, 2026, after NDLEA operatives intercepted the drug consignment at the export shed of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos, a day earlier.
According to the agency, investigations initially led to the arrest of three cargo agents—Nkwor Onyekachukwu Justina, Adeleke Abiola Taoheed and Ukanwa Grace Pilgrim—who handled the shipment.
Their arrest subsequently led to the apprehension of Kenneth Okakpu, who delivered the consignment to the cargo agents for export to the UK.
The NDLEA said further investigations identified Chinedu as the alleged mastermind of the drug trafficking syndicate. He was arrested while allegedly attempting to send another cocaine consignment to the United Kingdom.
In a separate operation, NDLEA operatives on Tuesday, July 21, arrested 31-year-old entrepreneur Emmanuella Chukwu-Edo at her residence in Surulere, Lagos, following the interception of her consignment containing 2.80kg of Loud, a synthetic strain of cannabis, which arrived from the United States aboard a United Airlines flight.
Also at the Lagos airport, the agency intercepted a shipment containing 2,240,000 pills of Tapentadol 250mg, estimated to have a street value of over ₦2.2 billion. The consignment arrived from India aboard an Air Maroc flight and was seized during a joint cargo examination on Friday, July 24, following intelligence gathered by the agency.
The NDLEA also intercepted another consignment of tramadol concealed inside containers of black soap intended for shipment to the United Kingdom at a courier company in Lagos on Wednesday, July 22.
At the Apapa Seaport, operatives uncovered a container carrying three vehicles used to conceal 4,777 sachets of Canadian Loud, weighing 2,388.5kg and estimated to have a street value of more than ₦7.1 billion.
In Katsina State, NDLEA operatives arrested Mustapha Sani, 30, during a patrol operation in Baure, Safana Local Government Area, after recovering 323 rounds of military-grade ammunition, including 200 rounds of 7.62mm and 123 rounds of 7.6mm ammunition concealed in his possession.
In another operation along the Abuja-Kaduna Expressway, officers arrested Abubakar Amadu, 30, during a stop-and-search exercise at Jere, where he was allegedly found with 73 rounds of 7.62mm ammunition concealed inside kegs of red oil.
The agency said both suspects and the recovered ammunition had been handed over to the appropriate security agency for further investigation.
In Edo State, a raid on a warehouse in Ilushi Community, Esan South East Local Government Area, on Sunday, July 19, led to the recovery of 1,286kg of cannabis and 86kg of cannabis seeds.
During the operation, Ojore Onweze, 45, was arrested with 60kg of skunk, while George Agwumede, 30, was apprehended with 13kg of the same substance.
The NDLEA said its commands and formations across the country also sustained their War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) sensitisation campaign in schools, places of worship, workplaces and communities during the past week.
Commending officers of the Directorate of Operations and General Investigation (DOGI) and the MMIA, Apapa, Edo, Kaduna and Katsina Commands for the successful operations, NDLEA Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Brig.-Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd.), urged them to sustain the agency’s balanced approach to drug control, enforcement and public awareness across the country.
