Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have intercepted a major cocaine shipment disguised as beauty products at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Ikeja, Lagos. The discovery, made on October 14, 2025, exposed a network attempting to smuggle 70 parcels of cocaine weighing 3.60 kilograms to London.
The drugs were hidden inside cocoa butter formula body cream containers and presented for airfreight by a cargo agent, Lawal Mustapha Olakunle, who was promptly arrested. Further investigations led to the arrest of two other key suspects: Ogunmuyide Taiwo Deborah, a healthcare worker, and Mutiu Adebayo Adebiyi, Chief Executive Officer of Mutiu Adebiyi & Co Travel Agency, who was apprehended at his GRA Ikeja office on October 20.
NDLEA officials confirmed that the sophisticated concealment method and coordinated logistics point to a transnational trafficking syndicate with roots in Lagos. The operation formed part of the agency’s intensified surveillance on export cargo routes.
NDLEA Raids Across States: From Meth in Coffee Packs to Drug Parties in Lagos
In a related incident, NDLEA operatives at the Akanu Ibiam International Airport (AIIA), Enugu, intercepted a 35-year-old Lesotho national, Lemena Mark, who attempted to export 103.59 grams of methamphetamine concealed in a Diabeta Herbs Coffee Tea pack bound for the Philippines.
The same week, operatives in Kwara State arrested 40-year-old Umar Abubakar with 21,950 capsules of Tramadol hidden inside a 100-litre water heater at Bode Saadu, Moro Local Government Area. In Lagos, the agency conducted a high-profile raid at Proxy Night Club in Victoria Island in the early hours of October 26, following intelligence about a planned drug party.
Over 100 individuals—including the club owner and socialite, Mike Eze Nwalie Nwogu, popularly known as Pretty Mike—were detained for screening. Recovered from the scene were several cartons of “Loud” (a potent strain of cannabis) and “laughing gas” canisters. NDLEA sources revealed that undercover agents had infiltrated the club from 11 p.m. before executing the raid around 3 a.m., following standard operating procedures.
NDLEA Nationwide Crackdown: From Abia to Zamfara
The agency’s operations extended beyond Lagos. In Taraba, two suspects were arrested with 450,000 pills of Tramadol and Exol-5 concealed in a truck carrying building materials. In Kogi and Nasarawa, officers intercepted over 290 kilograms of cannabis.
Meanwhile, in Abia State, a 75-year-old man, Echendu Onuoka, and a 60-year-old woman, Aukana John, were caught with 4.7 kilograms and 225 grams of skunk, respectively. In Lekki, Lagos, a mother of two, Oyonumoh Glory Effiong, identified as a key distributor of Canadian and California “Loud,” was arrested with 500 grams of the substance.
At the Seme border, NDLEA officers recovered 55 kilograms of skunk and 121 litres of skuchies, a psychoactive drink mixture, while in Zamfara, a suspect was apprehended with an AK-47 rifle and 1,746 rounds of ammunition. The case has been transferred to relevant security authorities for further investigation.
NDLEA Commends Officers, Vows to Sustain Crackdown
NDLEA Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Brigadier General Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), praised the officers for their coordinated efforts across multiple states. He emphasized that the agency’s approach remains a balanced combination of law enforcement and drug abuse prevention.
The agency also continued its War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) sensitization programs in schools, worship centres, and communities nationwide. Educational sessions were conducted in Oyo, Kebbi, Enugu, Benue, Taraba, Rivers, and Kano states, underscoring the NDLEA’s determination to combat both the supply and demand sides of drug abuse.
Marwa reaffirmed the agency’s commitment to dismantling drug networks and preventing Nigeria from becoming a transit hub for narcotics.
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