NDLEA Arrests 74-Year-Old Man With 11kg Cocaine at Abuja Airport, Intercepts 339,800 Bottles of Codeine in Lagos
Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have arrested a 74-year-old man at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja after discovering 11 kilograms of cocaine concealed in his luggage as he attempted to board a flight to the United Kingdom. The agency also intercepted 339,800 bottles of codeine-based syrup at Apapa Seaport in Lagos and carried out several other anti-drug operations across the country.
The suspect, Ikwuakalom Nwakoro Emeka, was apprehended at the departure hall of the Abuja airport on Saturday, March 14, 2026, while attempting to board British Airways flight BA082 to Heathrow, London.
According to the NDLEA, officers discovered blocks of cocaine weighing 11 kilograms concealed inside food items such as ground dry pepper. The illicit substance had been carefully wrapped in foil papers and balloons and hidden in the suspect’s luggage.
In a related operation in Lagos, NDLEA operatives acting on credible intelligence arrested a woman, Mrs. Maryam Olalowo, at Ikad Hotel and Suites on Etim Inyang Street, Victoria Island, on Monday, March 9. She was allegedly attempting to sell 89 grams of cocaine and 20 grams of Canadian Loud, a strain of cannabis.
The suspect was found with her three children, including an infant, at the time of the arrest. She later told investigators that the drugs belonged to her husband, Ibrahim Olalowo Olatunji. He was subsequently arrested the same day, while Maryam was released. Ibrahim reportedly admitted ownership of the drugs and investigations revealed he had previously been arrested, convicted, and sentenced to two and a half years imprisonment for a similar offence in 2015.
In another crackdown on illicit drugs, NDLEA operatives arrested two suspects, Kalilou Simpara and Saidu Ibrahim, at Ebute Ero on Lagos Island where they recovered 68,000 pills of tramadol (250mg and 225mg) loaded in a truck and ready for transport to the Republic of Benin.
A follow-up operation at Idumota Market on March 11 led to the arrest of the alleged owner of the consignment, Nnamdi Cyprian. A search of his shop uncovered a parcel prepared for waybill delivery containing 1,000 tablets of tramadol 250mg. Another raid at the same market on March 13 resulted in the arrest of Nwanosike Kelvin, from whose shop officers recovered 47,500 ampoules of pentazocine injection.
In Kano State, a 42-year-old suspect, Magaji Dan Azumi, was arrested in the Bebeji area with 386 kilograms of skunk on March 10. Similarly, NDLEA officers in Abuja recovered 282.2 kilograms of skunk from another suspect, Isah Wako, in the Gwagwalada area of the Federal Capital Territory on March 13.
In Edo State, operatives raided the Egwa Forest Reserve in Aduan village, Orhionmwon Local Government Area, where a suspect, Chinedo Odalonu, 33, was arrested. During the operation, 4,218.96 kilograms of skunk were destroyed on two farms, while 16.5 kilograms of the substance were recovered as exhibits.
Meanwhile, no fewer than 339,800 bottles of codeine-based syrup were intercepted in two containers at Apapa Seaport on March 14 during a joint examination by NDLEA officers, personnel of the Nigeria Customs Service and other security agencies. The containers had been placed on the agency’s watchlist following intelligence reports indicating they contained concealed opioids.
The NDLEA also continued its War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) advocacy campaign nationwide with sensitisation lectures delivered to students and staff of several schools, including institutions in Nasarawa, Oyo, Delta, Cross River and Edo states.
Commending the agency’s officers involved in the operations, NDLEA Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Mohamed Buba Marwa, praised commands in Abuja, Lagos, Kano, Edo and the Federal Capital Territory for their efforts in combating drug trafficking while also promoting drug abuse prevention through advocacy programmes.
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