Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have arrested a 62-year-old Lagos-based businessman, Nwabueze Izueke, at the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport, Kano, for allegedly attempting to traffic cocaine out of Nigeria.
According to the agency, Izueke was intercepted on January 31, 2026, during passenger clearance for an Ethiopian Airlines flight to China via Addis Ababa. A body scan conducted by NDLEA officials reportedly revealed the presence of illicit substances in his system.
In a statement issued on Sunday by the agency’s spokesman, Femi Babafemi, Izueke was said to have expelled 95 jumbo-sized pellets of cocaine, weighing a total of 1.589 kilogrammes, while under observation.
Babafemi said the suspect, who claimed to be involved in the clothing and auto spare parts business in Lagos, told investigators that he resorted to drug trafficking to raise funds to complete a house he was building in his hometown of Iwollo, Enugu State.
The agency said the arrest was part of a broader nationwide crackdown that resulted in multiple seizures and arrests across several states.
The NDLEA said the operation highlights its sustained commitment to dismantling drug trafficking networks and strengthening drug control efforts across the country.
