NDLEA Arrests Make-up Artist ‘Going To India For Surgery’ With 2.20kg Cocaine

Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Ikeja, Lagos, have arrested 43-year-old female make-up artist, Adekoya Adebukonla Mary, who claimed to be travelling to India for a fibroid surgery, with 2.20 kilograms of cocaine.

The illicit drugs were discovered factory-fitted in the walls of her bag on Monday, June 16, 2025, after the NDLEA acted on credible intelligence.

NDLEA spokesperson, Femi Babafemi, said under surveillance, Adekoya was allowed to check in her luggage and arrested at the point of boarding her Qatar Airways flight to India via Doha.

According to the NDLEA, “When her luggage was searched, two large parcels of cocaine weighing 2.20kg were found concealed in the walls of the suitcase she was carrying.
In her statement, she claimed she embarked on the trip for financial benefits but under the pretext of going to India for surgery to remove fibroid from her stomach.

“Further investigation revealed the suspect was recruited and funded by a drug baron currently at large, Akeem Ayinde Adekanbi, who owns Rockford Hotel located in Sango area of Ogun State while he lives at Igbe Laara in Igbogbo area of Ikorodu, Lagos state.”

Also, NDLEA operatives of the Directorate of Operation and General Investigation (DOGI), on Thursday, June 19, intercepted a shipment of sewn female dresses containing 1.3kg Loud, a strong strain of cannabis, going to Bahrain at a courier company in Lagos; while at another courier firm the previous day, Wednesday June 18, operatives uncovered 850grams of cocaine concealed in cloth hangers heading to Australia.

In Bauchi State, NDLEA officers acting on credible intelligence on Monday, June 16, arrested the duo of Ibrahim Galadima, 37, and Ibrahim Muhammed, 28, along Bauchi-Darazo Road. A total of 1,013,000 pills of opioids namely: tramadol, diazepam and exol-5 were recovered from them.

While 38-year-old Bishir Isyaku was nabbed on Tuesday, June 17, at Gwargwaje along Kaduna-Zaria expressway with 14.2kg skunk, a strain of cannabis, concealed in two sacks of charcoal and seven cartons of rubber solution weighing 198kg, NDLEA operatives in Abuja on Wednesday, June 18, arrested Murtala Adamu, Ahmed Ismai’l and four others during raid operations at Karu Abbattoir and Torabora areas of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Abuja.

Recovered from them were 6.9kg skunk and 59grams of methamphetamine.