Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have intercepted consignments of cocaine and tramadol 225mg concealed in 71 vehicle side mirrors being sent to Libreville, Gabon through the export shed of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) Ikeja, Lagos.
The NDLEA also arrested three suspects linked to the cargo after follow-up operations.
Spokesperson of the anti-narcotic agency, Femi Babafemi said the first batch of the consignment consisting 57,420 pills of tramadol 225mg and 57 pellets of Cocaine weighing 1.60kg were intercepted in a cargo going to Gabon on Air Côte d’Ivoire on Saturday July 19 2025.
Babafemi said a popular cargo agent identified as Ihekweme Osinachi Benedict who was handling the shipment was immediately arrested, after which further investigation led to the arrest of another suspect, Uzochukwu Godspower Chukwurah, on Sunday July 20, 2025.
The NDLEA’s spokesperson also explained that eleven parcels of cocaine with a total weight of 1kg were later recovered from four additional side mirrors being prepared for export found in the home of Uzochukwu on Monday July 21.
This brought the total number of parcels of cocaine intercepted to 68, weighing 2.60 kilograms.
Meanwhile, in a related development, NDLEA operatives on Friday, August 1st, arrested a businesswoman, Mrs. Nwafor Roseann Nneka at her shop within the Trade Fair Complex, Ojo, Lagos.
Mrs Nwafor’s arrest followed the interception of 100grams of cocaine and 300grams of phenacetine, a cutting agent, concealed in ladies’ lipsticks going to Malabo, Equatorial Guinea, through the export shed of the Lagos Airport on July 10, 2025.
The NDLEA said, “Two cargo agents linked to the shipment were earlier arrested before the eventual arrest of Nneka accused of running the criminal trade as a family business with her husband, Remigus Nwafor, who is currently on the run.
According to the NDLEA, Mrs. Nwafor admitted in her statement that she bought the lipsticks used to conceal the illicit drugs, while her husband handled the actual concealment.
Also, NDLEA operatives in Abuja, while conducting an intelligence-led ‘stop and search’ operations in Gwarimpa, Jahi, and Galadimawa areas of the FCT on Wednesday, July 30, arrested three dispatch riders – Sabo Sule, 24; Samuel Nnamdi, 28; and Idris Jibrin, 28, for distributing illicit substances around the city.
A total of 149.8 grams of Canadian Loud, a strong strain of cannabis were recovered from them.
Two other suspects identified as Aliyu Abubakar, 25; and Adekunle Agbabiaka, 30, were arrested along Abaji-Gwagwalada expressway with 91.1kg skunk, a strain of cann
