The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has thwarted an international drug syndicate by intercepting a significant cocaine shipment valued at N4.4 billion at Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos. On October 29, 2024, NDLEA officials recovered 845 wraps of cocaine, totalling 18.72 kg, hidden in nine plastic bags located in the lavatories of an Ethiopian Airlines flight arriving from Addis Ababa.
The NDLEA’s Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, announced on Sunday via the agency’s official X handle that a tip from airline staff had led to the discovery of suspicious items in the waste collectors of an aircraft’s rear lavatories. In response, the NDLEA has begun questioning 30 suspects linked to the incident.
According to Babafemi, investigations uncovered that the confiscated drugs were transported from Brazil to Ethiopia by a group of couriers who ingested them and later excreted them in Addis Ababa. It is also alleged that other traffickers collected the packages with the intention of smuggling them into Nigeria.
In separate drug enforcement operations, NDLEA agents in multiple locations thwarted attempts to smuggle drugs concealed in body cream containers and artworks destined for the UK, UAE, and Australia. They also confiscated 754,000 pills of tapentadol and acetaminophen worth N525 million from a container at the Apapa Seaport in Lagos.
Across Nigeria, NDLEA operatives made multiple arrests, including in Abuja, where they seized tramadol and methamphetamine. They also intercepted cannabis and counterfeit Naira notes from suspects in Kogi and apprehended known drug dealer Usman Abba, alias “Timaya,” in Katsina.
Chairman and Chief Executive of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), praised the commitment of the agency’s officers. “Their dedication to ensuring a drug-free Nigeria is exemplary,” he said, commending their ongoing War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) sensitization efforts in schools, workplaces, and communities nationwide.
