Hope Ajayi 
ABUJA, Nigeria – The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) says it has intercepted illicit drugs worth more than ₦5 billion at major Nigerian ports and arrested a 38-year-old businessman allegedly attempting to smuggle 4.80 kilogrammes of cocaine to Italy.
The agency disclosed this in a statement issued on Sunday, October 4, 2026, by its Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi.
According to the NDLEA, operatives arrested the suspect on September 27 at Terminal 2 of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, while he prepared to board a Royal Air Maroc flight to Milan.
Officers allegedly recovered 16 parcels of cocaine hidden in the soles of eight pairs of shoes. They also found 195 wraps concealed in the railings of four travelling bags.
The agency said the suspect claimed he paid ₦16 million for the cocaine hidden in the shoes. He allegedly planned to deliver the consignment concealed in the bags to a contact in Italy.
NDLEA Seizes Cannabis at Lagos, Rivers Ports
At Apapa Port in Lagos, NDLEA officers, working with the Nigeria Customs Service and other agencies, intercepted 161 parcels of Thai Loud weighing 124 kilogrammes.
The agency valued the consignment at ₦372 million.
At Onne Port in Rivers State, officers seized 40 packs of Loud weighing 22 kilogrammes and 109,600 bottles of codeine-based cough syrup weighing 16,440 kilogrammes.
The NDLEA put the combined value of the Onne Port seizures at ₦833.2 million.
The largest seizure occurred at Tincan Island Port in Lagos on September 29. Officers intercepted 2,595 parcels of Canadian Loud weighing 1,297.5 kilogrammes.
According to the agency, the drugs were worth more than ₦3.8 billion. Officers found them concealed in a Toyota Sienna, a Hyundai Elantra, 24 blue drums and six jumbo bags.
NDLEA Reports More Drug Seizures Across States
The agency also reported additional drug seizures and enforcement operations in several states. In Osun State, operatives destroyed more than 20,234 kilogrammes of cannabis found on a farm.
In Lagos, officers recovered 209,000 tramadol tablets. Other operations led to seizures of cannabis, methamphetamine and other illicit substances in Kogi, Plateau and Edo states.
NDLEA Chairman, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Marwa (retd.), commended the officers involved in the operations. He directed them to sustain intelligence-led enforcement against drug trafficking and illicit drug distribution.
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Korede Abdullah 
Mirian Gom