NDLEA arrests China-bound auto parts dealer with 95 wraps of cocaine
A 62-year-old Lagos-based businessman Nwabueze Nicholas Izueke has been arrested at the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport (MAKIA) Kano by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) while heading to China with 95 jumbo-sized wraps of cocaine weighing 1.589 kilograms buried in his stomach.
Nwabueze was arrested on Saturday 31st January 2026 at the Kano airport during the outward clearance of passengers going to China via Addis Ababa on Ethiopian Airlines flight ET940.
When taken for body scan, he tested positive for ingesting illicit drug and was promptly placed under excretion observation.
While under observation, the suspect who claims he is into clothing and auto parts business in Lagos, expelled a total of 95 pellets of the class A drug in seven excretions.
In his statement, he claimed he decided to engage in illicit drug trafficking to raise enough money to complete a house he is building in his village, Iwollo, Enugu state.
In other operations, the NDLEA said a total of 627.7 kilograms of skunk, a strain of cannabis, were recovered from a makeshift warehouse within Fums Plaza in Kubwa, FCT.
Its operatives also thwarted attempt by Ebube Okeke, Evans Ugwu, Mohammed Eze Arinze and Friday Michael to smuggle methamphetamine concealed in Mp3 speakers from Enugu to Abuja and Kaduna.
A follow up operation in Zuba, FCT led to the arrest of Ebube Okeke who is the owner of one of the parcels containing 173grams of meth, while the trio of Evans Ugwu, Mohammed Eze Arinze and Friday Michael were nabbed on Saturday 7th February in Kaduna when they showed up to collect the second consignment weighing 28grams of meth.
Similarly, NDLEA operatives at Dan-anacha patrol point, Gassol local government area of Taraba state on Friday 6th February intercepted a suspect, Yusuf Abubakar, 32, conveying packs of Hollandia Yogurt from Lagos heading to Mubi, Adamawa state.
Acting on intelligence, the NDLEA officers searched the yogurt packs, some of which were used to conceal wraps of white powdery substance that tested positive to methamphetamine weighing 1.8 kilograms.
In Oyo state, NDLEA officers on Thursday 5th February arrested a Beninoise, Shuaibu Abdulrahman, 29, at Ibudo-Igboho village, Sooro Kishi, where they recovered 149.6kgSkunk concealed in rice shafts.
In a separate operation in Ibadan, a suspect Adeniyi Adeola (a.k.a Prince) was nabbed at Foko, Agbeni market on Wednesday 4th February. Recovered from his truck marked BDJ 767 YC include: 10,820 ampoules of pentazocine injection; and 117,820 capsules of tramadol.
Also in Ibadan, a drug kingpin Jimoh Nurudeen, 40, who owns a facility where he produces Colorado, a synthetic cannabis, was on Saturday 7th February arrested at Badeku area of Ibadan, along with his accomplice Ogundipe Yusuf, 27. Recovered from them include: 8 litres of precursor chemical; 14 grams of skunk and other paraphernalia of Colos production, as well as monetary exhibit of ₦7,408,400.00 and two vehicles: a Mercedes Benz SUV marked ABC 832 AZ and a Toyota Highlander with registration number RBC 243 BS.
In Kwara state, NDLEA operatives on Saturday 7th February intercepted a fuel tanker conveying petrol from Lagos to Maiduguri, Borno state. A search of the truck led to the recovery of 395,400 capsules of tramadol concealed in parts of the petrol laden truck, while the driver was taken into custody.
Also, a couple, Izuchukwu Azubuike, 37, and Ifunaya Mmadueke, 32, was arrested at Umuaka, Njaba, Imo state with 203kg skunk on Saturday 7th February, while operatives in Ondo state on Friday 6th February recovered 420kg skunk in a bush at Ikun Akoko.
In another operation, no fewer than 31 wraps of cocaine hidden in a hand bag were seized by operatives of the Marine Command of NDLEA from a suspect, Eze Nodebechi Austin upon his arrival from Cote D’Ivoire in a passenger’s boat at Yekeme, Badagry, Lagos state on Friday 6th February.
Another suspect, Adekunle Oluwatosin Olajide, was on Wednesday 4th February arrested at Lagos Island by NDLEA operatives who recovered 3.6 kilograms of Canadian Loud and Colorado from him.
In Enugu, a drug dealer Emeka Okeke, 37, was nabbed in his hideout at Akuruka street, Asata, Ezeagu where various quantities of skunk, meth, cocaine and molly as well as N457,700 monetary exhibit were seized from him.
