By NewsDesk
Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have arrested a 42-year-old Angolan businessman, Mbala Dajou Abuba, at the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport (MAKIA) for attempting to smuggle a large consignment of cocaine to Istanbul, Turkey.
Abuba, a native of Zaire province in Angola, was intercepted on Tuesday, February 25, 2025, while boarding an Egypt Air flight to Istanbul via Cairo. A body scan confirmed he had ingested illicit drugs, leading to his placement under excretion observation. Over multiple expulsions, he released 120 pellets of cocaine weighing 1.829 kilograms. He later admitted to engaging in drug trafficking after previously operating a township delivery service in Angola.
In a related operation, NDLEA operatives at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos, thwarted an attempt by auto parts dealer Okeke Ebuka Igwe to export 1.10kg of cocaine hidden in vehicle propellers to Angola. Igwe was arrested on Monday, February 24, following intelligence reports.
Another suspect, Ezechi Iyke Cyprian, was apprehended while attempting to transport 5.40kg of cocaine to Owerri, Imo State, in his Toyota Sienna bus on Sunday, February 23. His arrest followed weeks of surveillance by a special NDLEA operations unit.
Meanwhile, NDLEA agents at Tincan Seaport in Lagos discovered 128 parcels of Canadian Loud, a potent cannabis strain, weighing 63.75kg. The drugs were hidden in two mattresses inside a Toyota Venza imported from Canada. The consignee, 44-year-old Bamidele Joseph, was taken into custody.
In Delta State, NDLEA operatives, supported by the military, destroyed 50,000kg of cannabis cultivated on a 20-hectare farmland in Innam-Abbi/Orogun. Five suspects were arrested during the raid. Additionally, a Mercedes-Benz truck carrying 1,111kg of skunk was intercepted along the Abraka-Orogun road.
Similarly, in Edo State, NDLEA officers raided Okpuje community in Owan West LGA, seizing 1,409.5kg of skunk from warehouses. Suspects Oikelomen Osere Monday and Glory Iroyo were detained in connection with the illegal stash.
Further arrests were made across the country, including:
- Michael Omoloki (46) with 58.5kg of skunk on Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, Oyo State.
- Lawali Mohammed, a Beninese national, caught with 2,980 tramadol tablets in Kwara.
- Sunday Ogbu (45) intercepted with 1.05kg of skunk hidden in detergent boxes in Osun.
- Ayuba Mustapha (30) arrested with 24,700 tramadol pills in Zamfara.
- Mustapha Shettima (50) caught with 31kg of skunk and N720,000 in cash in Borno.
- Adamu Idris (40) nabbed with 73.5kg of cannabis in Kano.
NDLEA Chairman, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), praised the agency’s officers for their unwavering commitment to drug enforcement and public sensitization efforts under the War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) campaign.