NDLEA arrests India-bound brothers at Lagos airport

Operatives of a Special Operations Unit of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have arrested two brothers, John Abugu and Kenneth Abugu at the Lagos International Airport with 5kilograms cocaine concealed in walls of their suitcases while attempting to board a flight to India.

An NDLEA statement on Sunday said the two brothers were arrested at the Lagos airport on 3rd April 2025 following proactive processing of credible intelligence. They claimed they were travelling to India for medical treatment but when their suitcases were thoroughly searched by NDLEA officers, whitish powdery substances later confirmed to be cocaine were discovered on the walls of their bags.

In a similar development, NDLEA officers of the Lagos International Airport’s Strategic Command same day intercepted a 20-year-old Ghanaian–British man, Parker Darren Hazekia Osei with 36 parcels of Loud, a strong strain of cannabis weighing 19.40kg packed in a giant travelling bag.

The suspect who claims he is a student of Computer Science at East London University, UK, was arrested during the inward clearance of passengers on an Ethiopian Airlines flight from Bangkok, Thailand, at the E-arrival hall of the Lagos airport.

He claimed in his statement that he lives with his parents in the UK but left London about a week ago for Bangkok where he picked up the illicit drug consignment to deliver in Nigeria.

Meanwhile, NDLEA operatives in Kogi state have arrested a 33-year-old lady, Ngozi Ogili while moving 3 kilograms of methamphetamine from Lagos to Abuja. She was nabbed in a commercial transport bus along Okene-Lokoja highway on 31st March 2025. A follow-up operation at her point of delivery in the Apo mechanic area of Abuja led to the seizure of quantities of Loud and Colorado, both synthetic strains of cannabis.

In Abia state, NDLEA officers on Saturday, arrested a 75-year-old grandpa, Nna Nnanna Felix with 1.6kg skunk, a strain of cannabis during a raid at Umunteke Asa, Ukwa West LGA, while another suspect David Chinemerem was nabbed with 2,050 ampoules of pentazocine at 7 Nnajiego Lane, Umuode road, Aba on 1st April.

No fewer than 381 bottles of codeine syrup and 108 tablets of tramadol were seized from a suspect, Abdullahi Adamu along Potiskum-Damaturu road, Yobe state by NDLEA operatives on Saturday, just as raid operations at Osogbo motor park, Onitsha, and a house at Oba in Idemili Local Government Area of Anambra state led to the arrest of Obinna Sunday and the seizure of 195,000 pills of tramadol. Also arrested during the raid at the motor park was Ugochukwu Ojalanonye with 4.2kg codeine syrup and 5.4kg pentazocine.

In the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, NDLEA operatives on 3rd April arrested 51-year-old Sunday Ayogu with 25kg skunk and 90.4g of methamphetamine during a raid operation at Wuse market Abuja, while two ladies, Faith Effiong Etim, and Victoria Asuquo Etim were nabbed on Friday when NDLEA operatives supported by men of the Nigerian Army raided cannabis plantations in Esuk-Odot community, Odukpani LGA of Cross River State where 250,000 kilograms of the psychoactive plant were destroyed on over 100 hectares of farmland.

With the same vigour, Commands and formations of the Agency across the country continued their War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) sensitization activities to schools, worship centres, work places and communities among others in the past week.

While commending the officers and men of the various Commands of the Agency for the arrests and seizures, the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the NDLEA, Brig-Gen. Mohamed Marwa (Rtd) said, their operational successes and those of their compatriots across the country especially their balanced approach to drug supply reduction and drug demand reduction efforts are well appreciated.

ALSO READ TOP STORIES FROM NIGERIAN TRIBUNE