The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has intercepted a 62-year-old businessman at the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport (MAKIA), Kano, while attempting to traffic cocaine to China, in one of several coordinated anti-drug operations carried out across the country in the past week.
The suspect, identified as Nwabueze Nicholas Izueke, was arrested during passenger clearance for an Ethiopian Airlines flight to China via Addis Ababa, after NDLEA officers subjected him to a body scan that confirmed the presence of illicit substances in his system.
Agency officials said the Lagos-based trader was placed under medical observation, during which he expelled 95 wraps of cocaine weighing a total of 1.589 kilograms. In his statement, Izueke claimed he turned to drug trafficking in a bid to raise funds to complete a house project in his hometown of Iwollo, Enugu State.
Elsewhere in Abuja, NDLEA operatives recovered 627.7 kilograms of skunk from a makeshift warehouse at Fums Plaza, Kubwa, while attempts to smuggle methamphetamine concealed in MP3 speakers from Enugu to Abuja and Kaduna were thwarted. A follow-up operation led to the arrest of four suspects linked to the consignments.
In Taraba State, officers intercepted a suspect conveying yogurt packs from Lagos to Adamawa, where 1.8 kilograms of methamphetamine were hidden. A similar operation in Oyo State led to the arrest of a Beninoise national with 149.6 kilograms of skunk concealed in rice shafts.
NDLEA also recorded multiple arrests in Ibadan, including the seizure of large quantities of tramadol, pentazocine injections, and the dismantling of a synthetic cannabis production facility, where cash exhibits and vehicles were recovered.
In Kwara State, a fuel tanker transporting petrol from Lagos to Maiduguri was found to be concealing over 395,000 capsules of tramadol, while additional seizures of skunk and cocaine were made in Imo, Ondo and Lagos States. Marine operatives in Badagry also intercepted cocaine hidden in a handbag from a passenger arriving by boat from Côte d’Ivoire.
The agency said its officers continued public sensitisation under the War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) initiative, targeting schools, communities and traditional institutions nationwide to discourage drug abuse and trafficking.
Commending the operations, NDLEA Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Brigadier General Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), praised officers across various commands for their dedication and urged them to sustain professionalism in both drug supply and demand reduction efforts.
The scale of arrests and seizures underscores the persistence of drug trafficking networks across Nigeria, but also reflects improved intelligence and operational reach by the NDLEA. Sustained enforcement, combined with public education and economic support for vulnerable populations, remains critical to reducing the lure of illicit drugs and strengthening national security.
