The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested a 38-year-old South African woman at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport (NAIA), Abuja, for allegedly attempting to smuggle heroin into Nigeria while travelling with her three-year-old son.
The suspect, identified as Will Jessica Ann, was arrested on July 6, 2026, during the inward clearance of passengers on a Qatar Airways flight from Doha to Abuja after operatives discovered 14 large blocks of heroin weighing 5.75 kilograms concealed in her luggage.
According to the NDLEA, the suspect initially denied travelling with any checked-in luggage. However, investigators later established that two bags containing the illicit drugs bore tags corresponding with the baggage claim tags attached to her passport.
Faced with the evidence, the suspect reportedly admitted ownership of the bags, claiming she had forgotten that she checked them in before boarding the flight.
Preliminary investigations revealed that Ann travelled from Cambodia through Doha to Abuja and is believed to be linked to a transnational drug trafficking network allegedly operated alongside her husband and partner, Jan Coenraad De Jager, based in Cambodia.
Okada Rider Arrested With MethamphetamineIn a separate operation, NDLEA operatives at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos, arrested a 48-year-old commercial motorcycle rider, Onyechere Daniel Chinadu, following his arrival from Madagascar via Addis Ababa on an Ethiopian Airlines flight.
A search of his luggage led to the discovery of 87 wraps of methamphetamine concealed among clothing items.
The suspect told investigators that he had worked as an “Okada” rider in Lagos for about 15 years before allegedly being recruited into drug trafficking by a Uganda-based associate.
According to the NDLEA, Chinadu confessed that he ingested several pellets of methamphetamine in Uganda before embarking on a journey to Madagascar to deliver the narcotics.
However, he was denied entry upon arrival and was subsequently rerouted to Lagos, where he was intercepted by anti-narcotics officers.Because he could not state the exact number of pellets ingested, the suspect was placed under observation.
Over three days, he excreted an additional 13 pellets, bringing the total recovery to 100 wraps of methamphetamine weighing 1.715 kilograms₦10.3 Billion Cannabis Shipment Intercepted at Apapa PortThe NDLEA also announced the seizure of a massive shipment of cannabis at the Apapa Seaport in Lagos.
According to the agency, 8,287 nylon bags of Canadian Loud, a potent strain of cannabis weighing 4,143.5 kilograms, were discovered in a container imported from Canada during a joint inspection involving NDLEA officers, the Nigeria Customs Service and other security agencies.The agency estimated the street value of the consignment at more than ₦10.3 billion.
NDLEA said the interception followed weeks of intelligence gathering, tracking and surveillance by its Maritime Intelligence Unit in collaboration with the Apapa Strategic Command after monitoring the shipment from its point of departure in Montreal, Canada.
Drug Concealed in Gas Compressor Bound for CyprusIn another operation, operatives of the Directorate of Operations and General Investigation (DOGI) foiled an attempt to export 2.5 kilograms of skunk, a strain of cannabis, concealed inside a gas compressor destined for Cyprus through a Lagos-based courier service.
Agency Sustains Anti-Drug CampaignBeyond enforcement activities, the NDLEA said its commands and formations across the country continued public sensitisation campaigns under the War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) initiative.
The agency conducted awareness programmes in schools and communities, including Nnodo Secondary School in Ebonyi State, Government Girls Secondary School in Kano State, Royal Jesuit College in Ekiti State and Community Secondary School in Ogun State.
In Rivers State, officials of NDLEA Zone 14 Command paid an advocacy visit to Governor Siminalayi Fubara as part of efforts to strengthen partnerships in the fight against substance abuse.
Marwa Commends OfficersReacting to the arrests and seizures, NDLEA Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Brigadier General Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd.), commended officers of the Directorate of Operations and General Investigation, the Abuja and Lagos airport commands, the Maritime Intelligence Unit and the Apapa Command for their vigilance and professionalism.
Marwa noted that the agency’s success in reducing drug supply must continue to be matched by sustained public enlightenment campaigns aimed at preventing drug abuse across the country.
He urged officers and personnel nationwide to remain committed to the agency’s mandate and intensify efforts to dismantle drug trafficking networks operating within and beyond Nigeria’s borders.
