Newlywed Bound For Portugal Excretes 72 Cocaine Wraps At Enugu Airport

A 25-year-old newlywed businessman, Lovely Chukwulobelu, has been arrested by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) at the Akanu Ibiam International Airport (AIIA), Enugu, after allegedly ingesting 72 wraps of cocaine destined for Portugal.

A statement issued on Sunday in Abuja by Femi Babafemi, NDLEA director, Media and Advocacy, said Chukwulobelu was intercepted at the airport’s departure hall on Thursday, September 25, 2026, while allegedly attempting to board an Ethiopian Airlines flight to Portugal via Addis Ababa.

The suspect, who had his wedding ring on his finger when he was arrested, was placed under excretion observation after NDLEA officers suspected he had ingested cocaine. He subsequently egested all 72 wraps of the Class A illicit drug, according to the agency.

The suspect reportedly told NDLEA that he was into car decoration business at the Trade Fair Complex in the Ojo area of Lagos before relocating to Portugal in May 2023.

He said he recently returned to Nigeria and got married on September 13, 2026, adding that he turned to the illicit drug trade to offset expenses incurred during the wedding.