Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency have arrested an Italy-bound businessman, Philip Tunde, with 4.80 kilogrammes of cocaine concealed in the soles of shoes and railings of travelling bags at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos.
The 38-year-old suspect was arrested on September 27, 2026, at the joint screening point of Terminal 2 of the airport while preparing to board a Royal Air Maroc flight to Milan, Italy.
According to the NDLEA, a search of the suspect’s luggage led to the recovery of 16 parcels of a white powdery substance concealed in the soles of eight pairs of trainers and canvas shoes, as well as 195 wraps hidden in the railings of four travelling bags.
The substances tested positive for cocaine and had a combined weight of 4.80kg.
During interrogation, the suspect reportedly told investigators that he paid N16 million in cash for the cocaine hidden in the shoes, while the consignment concealed in the bags was allegedly intended for delivery to his partner in Italy.
He reportedly said he raised the money from compensation he received after sustaining an injury while working at a plastic manufacturing company in Italy, where he lost the tips of two fingers.
Meanwhile, the NDLEA said its operatives had intercepted consignments of Loud, a potent strain of cannabis, and codeine-based cough syrup worth more than N5 billion at the Apapa, Tincan Island and Onne ports.
At the Apapa Port, Lagos, operatives acting on intelligence subjected two containers from Bangkok, Thailand, to 100 per cent examination alongside Customs and other stakeholders.
The agency said the examination of one of the containers on September 3 led to the discovery of 161 parcels of Thai Loud weighing 124kg and valued at N372 million.
The consignment was allegedly concealed in two refrigerators and two cartons.
At the Onne Port in Rivers State, two containers placed on the NDLEA watchlist following intelligence were jointly examined by the agency, Customs and other security agencies.
The examination reportedly led to the recovery of 40 packs of Loud weighing 22kg, concealed in a travelling bag and three of five vehicles — a Toyota Matrix, Toyota Corolla and Hyundai Elantra — shipped in one of the containers.
The second container was found to contain 109,600 bottles of codeine-based cough syrup weighing 16,440kg.
The NDLEA said the container originated from India and was shipped to Saudi Arabia, where its history of origin was allegedly deleted to prevent it from being targeted.
The agency put the combined street value of the codeine and Loud consignments at N833.2 million.
At the Tincan Island Port, Lagos, NDLEA operatives on September 29 conducted a joint examination of a watch-listed container from Montreal, Canada, with Customs and other stakeholders.
A total of 2,595 parcels of Canadian Loud weighing 1,297.5kg were allegedly recovered from the container.
The consignment was concealed in a Toyota Sienna and a Hyundai Elantra, alongside 24 blue drums and six jumbo bags, and was valued by the agency at more than N3.8 billion.
In Osun State, NDLEA operatives destroyed 20,234kg of skunk found on 8.0936 hectares of cannabis farm in Area 4, Ife South Local Government Area.
The destruction was carried out on September 30, while a 41-year-old suspect, Agbo Dennis, was arrested the previous day in the West of Mines area of Jos North, Plateau State, following the seizure of 33 bags of skunk weighing 385kg.
In Lagos, NDLEA operatives on September 28 raided an unoccupied compound at Divine Estate, Ago Palace, where they recovered 209,000 tablets of tramadol.
The agency also arrested 23-year-old Ekundayo Taiwo on September 30 in a follow-up operation at Ladipo Spare Parts Market.
The arrest followed the seizure of 61 grammes of Colorado, a synthetic strain of cannabis, and 24 grammes of methamphetamine allegedly concealed in a bottle of an energy drink sent as a waybill package through a commercial bus driver on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway.
In Kogi State, NDLEA officers on patrol along the Okene-Lokoja Highway on September 30 intercepted a Lagos-Abuja commuter bus and discovered two sachets of methamphetamine weighing 1kg concealed in a waybill.
A follow-up operation led to the arrest of the alleged owner of the consignment, 29-year-old Michael Chukwuememka Uzoma, at Utako, Abuja.
In Edo State, operatives raided the residence of 35-year-old Saturday Omimi at Uyere community, Ovia North-East Local Government Area, on October 2 and recovered 32.2kg of cannabis sativa.
The same day, Osazuwa Iyabor Michael, 23, was arrested at Auchi Bypass, Benin City, with 59 grammes of Loud, 12 grammes of Colorado, 19 grammes of tramadol, 16 grammes of methamphetamine, four grammes of Swinol and four grammes of Molly, according to the agency.
The NDLEA also announced the arrest of 47-year-old Idris Mohammed Kurra, a fugitive who allegedly jumped bail six years ago while facing trial before the Federal High Court in Jos, Plateau State.
Kurra was arrested on September 29 in connection with a case involving the alleged possession and dealing in 198kg of skunk.
The agency said he had been granted bail in December 2020 but subsequently absconded and remained at large until his arrest.
Beyond arrests and seizures, NDLEA commands and formations across the country continued their War Against Drug Abuse sensitisation campaigns in schools, worship centres, workplaces and communities during the week under review.
The agency listed sensitisation programmes held at St. Paul’s Secondary School, Oji, Enugu; Olu-Odo Primary School, Igbogbo, Ikorodu, Lagos; Government Junior Secondary School, Tsamiya, Kano; Christ’s School, Ado Ekiti; and Government Science Secondary School, Lokoja, Kogi State, among others.
Commending the officers and men involved in the operations, the NDLEA Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd.), urged personnel across the country to sustain the fight against drug trafficking networks.
Marwa also urged the agency’s personnel to maintain what he described as its balanced approach to drug control, combining enforcement operations with prevention and sensitisation activities.
“We must sustain the onslaught against drug trafficking networks while continuing with the current balanced approach to the drug control efforts of the Agency,” Marwa said.
