NDLEA intercepts Italy-bound businessman with cocaine consignments

NDLEA Arrests Businessman at Lagos Airport with Cocaine

Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have apprehended a 38-year-old businessman, Philip Tunde, at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos. Tunde was found with 4.80 kilograms of cocaine concealed in the soles of shoes and the railings of traveling bags.

The arrest occurred on Sunday, September 27, 2026, at the Terminal 2 screening area as Tunde prepared to board a Royal Air Maroc flight to Milan, Italy.

According to a statement from Femi Babafemi, Director of Media and Advocacy at NDLEA Headquarters in Abuja, investigations revealed that the drugs were hidden in 16 parcels located within the soles of eight pairs of shoes. An additional 195 wraps of cocaine were discovered concealed within the railings of four bags.

During questioning, Tunde claimed he paid 16 million naira in cash for the cocaine, intended for delivery to a partner in Italy. He stated that the funds were obtained as compensation for an injury sustained while working at a plastic manufacturing company in Italy, resulting in the loss of two fingertips.

In related operations, NDLEA operatives intercepted significant drug consignments at the Apapa, Tin Can Island, and Onne ports, with an estimated street value exceeding 5 billion naira.

At the Apapa port, operatives, acting on intelligence, examined two containers arriving from Bangkok, Thailand, in conjunction with Customs officials. A thorough search on September 3 led to the recovery of 161 parcels of “Thai Loud,” a potent strain of cannabis, weighing 124 kilograms and valued at approximately 372 million naira. The drugs were concealed within two refrigerators.

At the Onne port in Rivers State, two containers on the NDLEA watchlist were jointly examined. Operatives found 40 packs of “Loud” weighing 22 kilograms, hidden in a traveling bag, and discovered codeine-based cough syrup in the second container. This syrup weighed 16,440 kilograms and reportedly originated from India, routed through Saudi Arabia with its records allegedly erased to evade detection. The combined street value of the drugs seized at Onne was estimated at 833.2 million naira.

Additionally, on Tuesday, September 29, NDLEA agents seized 2,595 parcels of “Canadian Loud,” weighing 1,297.5 kilograms, from a container at the Tin Can Island Port in Lagos. The drugs were hidden within a Toyota Sienna and a Hyundai Elantra, alongside other items, with a total estimated value exceeding 3.8 billion naira.

In Osun State, 20,234 kilograms of skunk were destroyed following the dismantling of a cannabis farm covering over 8 hectares. In Plateau State, 41-year-old Agbo Dennis was arrested on September 29 with 33 bags of skunk weighing 385 kilograms.

In an unoccupied compound in Lagos, operatives on September 28 recovered 209,000 tablets of tramadol. A follow-up operation at Ladipo Spare Parts Market led to the arrest of 23-year-old Ekundayo Taiwo, who was found with synthetic cannabis and methamphetamine hidden in an energy drink bottle.

Furthermore, in Kogi State, two sachets containing 1 kilogram of methamphetamine were intercepted from a commercial bus. The alleged owner, 29-year-old Michael Chukwuememka Uzoma, was later arrested.

In Edo State, operatives seized 32.2 kilograms of cannabis sativa from the residence of 35-year-old Saturday Omimi on October 2. That same day, 23-year-old Osazuwa Iyabor Michael was apprehended in Benin City with multiple drugs, including “Loud” and methamphetamine.

The NDLEA announced the arrest of 47-year-old Idris Mohammed Kurra, a fugitive who evaded arrest for six years after jumping bail for drug-related charges. Kurra was captured on September 29 while awaiting trial for alleged possession of 198 kilograms of skunk.

The agency is also active in its War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) campaign, conducting sensitization outreach in schools and communities nationwide. Recent campaigns were held at various educational institutions across several states.

NDLEA Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd.) praised the agency’s officers for their intelligence-driven operations and urged sustained efforts against drug trafficking networks.

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