India-bound Brothers Arrested at Lagos Airport with 5kg Cocaine in Walls of Suitcases as NDLEA Intercepts UK Techie with Large Consignment of Loud at MMIA

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has intensified its efforts in combating drug trafficking with a string of successful operations across the country. In one of the most notable arrests, two brothers, John Abugu (43) and Kenneth Abugu (31), were apprehended at Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) in Lagos with 5kg of cocaine hidden within the walls of their suitcases. The arrests took place on Thursday, April 3, 2025, as the brothers attempted to board a flight to India under the pretense of seeking medical treatment. Upon inspection, NDLEA operatives discovered white powdery substances later confirmed to be cocaine.

On the same day, NDLEA officers at the MMIA Strategic Command arrested 20-year-old Ghanaian-British national Parker Darren Hazekia Osei. He was caught with 36 parcels of Loud, a potent cannabis strain, weighing 19.40kg in a large travel bag. Osei, who claimed to be a computer science student at East London University, UK, had just arrived on an Ethiopian Airlines flight from Bangkok, Thailand.

In Kogi State, a 33-year-old woman named Ngozi Ogili was arrested on Monday, March 31, 2025, while transporting 3kg of methamphetamine from Lagos to Abuja in a commercial bus along the Okene-Lokoja highway. A follow-up operation at her delivery point in the Apo mechanic area of Abuja led to the discovery of more synthetic cannabis strains, including Loud and Colorado.

Abia State officers also made a notable arrest on Saturday, April 5, when they apprehended 75-year-old Nna Nnanna Felix with 1.6kg of skunk during a raid in Umuente Asa, Ukwa West LGA. Additionally, 21-year-old David Chinemerem was found with 2,050 ampoules of pentazocine in Aba.

Yobe State operatives seized 381 bottles of codeine syrup and 108 tramadol tablets from Abdullahi Adamu on the Potiskum-Damaturu road on April 5. Concurrent raids in Osogbo motor park, Onitsha, and a residence in Oba, Anambra State, led to the arrest of Obinna Sunday and the confiscation of 195,000 pills of tramadol. Ugochukwu Ojalanonye was also arrested at the Osogbo motor park with 4.2kg of codeine syrup and 5.4kg of pentazocine.

In Abuja, a raid at Wuse market on April 3 resulted in the arrest of 51-year-old Sunday Ayogu with 25kg of skunk and 90.4g of methamphetamine. Two women, Faith Effiong Etim (64) and Victoria Asuquo Etim (40), were apprehended on April 4 as NDLEA operatives, supported by the Nigerian Army, dismantled cannabis plantations in Esuk-Odot community, Odukpani LGA, Cross River State. A staggering 250,000kg of cannabis were destroyed across over 100 hectares of farmland.

Beyond enforcement, NDLEA continued its War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) campaign with sensitization programs in schools, workplaces, and communities. These included educational lectures at Cave City Secondary School in Anambra State, community engagements in Katsina, and outreach to members of the Nigerian Association of Patent and Proprietary Medicine Dealers in Yola and Adamawa.

Commending the efforts of the officers involved, NDLEA Chairman/Chief Executive, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), emphasized the agency’s balanced approach to reducing drug supply and demand. The NDLEA reaffirmed its commitment to safeguarding communities and supporting public health through continued operations and education.