NDLEA Intercepts Cocaine, Tramadol Hidden in Vehicle Side Mirrors, Lipsticks

Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have uncovered consignments of cocaine and tramadol concealed inside 71 vehicle side mirrors destined for Libreville, Gabon, through the export shed of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) in Lagos.

According to NDLEA spokesperson Femi Babafemi, the operation led to the interception of 57,420 pills of tramadol 225mg and 57 pellets of cocaine weighing 1.60 kilograms on Saturday, July 19, 2025. The illicit cargo was being shipped via Air Côte d’Ivoire. A known cargo agent, Ihekweme Osinachi Benedict, who managed the shipment, was immediately arrested. Follow-up investigations led to the arrest of a second suspect, Uzochukwu Godspower Chukwurah, on Sunday, July 20.

Further search of Uzochukwu’s residence on Monday, July 21, uncovered an additional eleven parcels of cocaine hidden in four more side mirrors, adding 1 kilogram to the previous seizure. In total, 68 parcels of cocaine weighing 2.60 kilograms were confiscated in the operation.

In a separate but related operation, NDLEA officers arrested a businesswoman, Mrs. Nwafor Roseann Nneka, at her shop in the Trade Fair Complex, Ojo, Lagos, on Friday, August 1. Her arrest followed the seizure of 100 grams of cocaine and 300 grams of phenacetine—a cutting agent—concealed in lipsticks intended for export to Malabo, Equatorial Guinea, on July 10. Two cargo agents linked to the shipment were arrested before Nneka was taken into custody. According to the agency, she admitted to purchasing the lipsticks used in the concealment, while her husband, Remigus Nwafor—currently on the run—was responsible for hiding the drugs.

Meanwhile, NDLEA operatives in Abuja carried out intelligence-led stop-and-search operations in Gwarimpa, Jahi, and Galadimawa areas on Wednesday, July 30. Three dispatch riders—Sabo Sule, 24; Samuel Nnamdi, 28; and Idris Jibrin, 28—were arrested for distributing illicit drugs across the city. A total of 149.8 grams of Canadian Loud, a potent strain of cannabis, was recovered from them.

Additionally, two other suspects, Aliyu Abubakar, 25, and Adekunle Agbabiaka, 30, were apprehended along the Abaji-Gwagwalada expressway with 91.1 kilograms of skunk.