Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have arrested a 34-year-old Ugandan national, Farida Nansubuga, at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos after discovering 87 wraps of cocaine hidden inside her pelvic region. The suspect had initially entered Nigeria with her church group for a religious retreat but remained behind to traffic the illicit consignment.
The arrest took place on Tuesday, November 3, 2026, during outbound passenger screening at Terminal 2 as she prepared to board a flight back to Uganda. Security personnel discovered suspicious substances during a physical check, leading to a secondary examination that yielded 1.150 kilograms of cocaine strapped beneath her undergarments. During questioning, Nansubuga stated she had traveled on October 29 for a spiritual session at The Synagogue Church of All Nations in Ikotun Egbe, Lagos. She alleged that after her delegation departed, she stayed back to collect the drugs on behalf of an acquaintance based in Uganda, expecting a payout of at least $1,000 upon successful delivery.
What other major drug seizures were recorded at the airport?
In separate operations at the Lagos airport cargo terminals, NDLEA operatives intercepted massive shipments of restricted pharmaceuticals and synthetic substances. On Friday, November 6, authorities uncovered 750,000 tablets of Tapentadol 250mg weighing 526 kilograms, valued at approximately N900 million. The cargo arrived from Ahmedabad, India, aboard an Ethiopian Airlines flight on November 3 and was falsely declared as Paracetamol. Similarly, on Wednesday, November 4, officers recovered 32 parcels of Canadian Loud, a strain of cannabis weighing 16.15 kilograms, hidden within wooden sofas shipped from Houston, Texas. A freight agent, Ibrahim Abdulwaheed Adewale, alongside a 34-year-old caterer, Adeoye Sarafa Ojo, was subsequently apprehended in connection with the shipment.
Furthermore, a syndicate smuggling precursor chemicals for synthetic cannabis, known locally as Colorado, from the United Kingdom was dismantled. Initial cargo arrivals on October 23 contained cannabis and manufacturing chemicals disguised inside tea packs. Subsequent sting operations led to the arrest of 51-year-old Okwuite Benjamin Ojone after the delivery of additional packages containing detergent packs and liquid substances, bringing total recoveries from the syndicate to significant quantities of illicit raw materials. Courier interceptions during the same period included cannabis blocks destined for the UK, alongside tramadol and swinol pills bound for Australia and European destinations hidden inside vitamin C containers and traditional headwear.
How did raids across Nigerian states unfold?
Beyond the aviation hubs, NDLEA formations executed coordinated raids across several states. In Ondo State, operatives raided Odofin Road in Uso on Friday, November 6, seizing 148 bags of cannabis weighing 1,818 kilograms, while a separate raid at Board Forest destroyed a one-hectare plantation and led to the arrest of 36-year-old Itoro Linus Akpan. In Ekiti State, 53-year-old Agbo Paul Peter was nabbed at Osin Forest with 216 kilograms of cannabis seeds and weeds.
Additional operations in Edo State along the Auchi–Ibillo road resulted in the interception of a vehicle carrying 19 bags of cannabis and the arrest of two occupants, alongside a separate swoop on a drug joint in Benin City. In Taraba State, checkpoint operations along the Lankaviri corridor yielded hundreds of compressed cannabis blocks over a three-day period, leading to the arrest of multiple suspects including Ibrahim Abdullahi, Kabiru Usman, and Babangida Babayo. Corresponding enforcement actions in Enugu and Delta states equally led to the confiscation of large quantities of skunk, tramadol, and ketamine.
Meanwhile, the agency continued its nationwide War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) campaign through advocacy visits and enlightenment lectures across secondary schools, tertiary institutions, and traditional palaces, including an outreach to the Emir of Bauchi, HRH Alhaji Rilwanu Sulaiman Adamu. Commending the various commands for the successful operations, NDLEA Chairman Mohamed Buba Marwa described the exploitation of religious pilgrimage by drug syndicates as a worrying trend, urging personnel to maintain momentum in both supply reduction and preventive education.