Ugandan woman in Nigeria for crusade arrested with 87 cocaine wraps in private parts
Nigerian Authorities Arrest Woman for Drug Trafficking; Seize Significant Cannabis and Opioid Shipments
LAGOS, Nigeria – A woman has been arrested for allegedly attempting to smuggle 1.15 kilograms of cocaine concealed around her pelvic region at a Lagos airport. The arrest occurred during a routine body search, which revealed suspicious substances, prompting officers to conduct a secondary search in a private room.
Authorities recovered 87 wraps of cocaine, which were strapped beneath two layers of underwear. During preliminary questioning, the suspect, identified as Nansubuga, stated she arrived in Nigeria on October 29 with members of her church for a prayer session at the Synagogue Church of All Nations (SCOAN) in Ikotun, Lagos.
Nansubuga claimed that after the prayer session, her companions returned to Uganda while she remained to collect a drug consignment for a friend named Joy. She asserted that Joy had connected her with a contact in Nigeria, who arranged her transportation to a hotel on the morning of her departure. The suspect alleged that a man at the hotel handed her the cocaine and instructed her to conceal the drugs to evade airport security. She was reportedly expecting to receive $1,000 upon successfully delivering the drugs to Uganda.
In a separate operation at the Lagos airport, officials with the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) intercepted a shipment of 750,000 tablets of Tapentadol, weighing 526 kilograms and valued at approximately 900 million naira. The shipment, which arrived from Ahmedabad, India, on November 3 aboard an Ethiopian Airlines flight, was falsely declared as Paracetamol 500mg. The drugs were discovered during a joint inspection with officers from the Nigeria Customs Service and other security agencies on November 6.
The opioid tablets were found in 10 of the 11 cartons, while the remaining carton contained paracetamol tablets allegedly intended as a diversion.
Additionally, NDLEA operatives intercepted 32 parcels of “Loud,” a potent strain of cannabis weighing 16.15 kilograms, concealed within two wooden sofas in a cargo shipment from Houston, Texas, on November 4. A freight agent, Ibrahim Abdulwaheed Adewale, who attempted to clear the consignment, was subsequently arrested. In a follow-up operation on November 6, a 34-year-old caterer from Ibadan, Oyo State, named Adeoye Sarafa Ojo, was also apprehended while trying to collect the package. Ojo claimed he was sent by a friend, Taiwo Anuoluwapo Olusegun.
The NDLEA revealed it uncovered a syndicate involved in importing chemicals used in producing Colorado, a synthetic cannabis, from the United Kingdom. On October 23, nine parcels concealed in cartons labeled “Michael Tea Guy” were intercepted from a shipment, with two of the parcels containing 1.20 kilograms of cannabis and forensic analysis confirming that the remaining seven contained chemicals for synthetic cannabis production. Several suspects have been arrested in connection with those shipments.
The agency reported further drug seizures and arrests across various states, including Lagos, Ondo, Ekiti, Edo, Taraba, Enugu, and Delta, involving cannabis, tramadol, pregabalin, diazepam, codeine, and other illicit substances. In Ondo State, operatives recovered 1,818 kilograms of cannabis from Odofin Road, Uso, and destroyed a one-hectare cannabis farm in the Board Forest, recovering an additional 242 kilograms of the substance. In Taraba State, three individuals were arrested with 283 blocks of compressed cannabis weighing 226.255 kilograms.
In Enugu State, two suspects were arrested in separate operations, yielding 22.5 kilograms of cannabis and 24,000 capsules of tramadol, along with 697 grams of ketamine. Additionally, NDLEA officials intercepted cannabis and tramadol shipments destined for the United Kingdom and Australia through courier companies in Lagos.
Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd.), chairman of the NDLEA, commented on the recent arrests and seizures, indicating that drug cartels are increasingly exploiting religious activities and travel to recruit drug couriers. Marwa commended the agency’s operatives for their diligence and stressed the need to continue efforts to combat drug trafficking and abuse throughout the country.
