The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has intercepted cocaine consignments concealed in female lipsticks and property documents en route to the United Kingdom and Saudi Arabia, as part of a string of major anti-narcotics operations carried out across Nigeria in recent days.
In a statement on Sunday, the agency disclosed that operatives attached to a courier company in Lagos seized 420 grams of cocaine packed into 84 pieces of female lipsticks destined for the UK, as well as 280 grams hidden within a Certificate of Occupancy meant for shipment to Saudi Arabia. The interceptions took place on Thursday, 3rd July 2025.
The NDLEA also announced the arrest of a notorious drug kingpin, Ajetsibo Emami, popularly known as ‘Warri Kinsman’, during a three-day operation in Ikeja, Lagos. The agency dismantled his trafficking network, leading to the arrest of three other suspects and the seizure of 24 jumbo bags containing 681 pouches of Canadian Loud, a potent strain of cannabis weighing 414.2 kilograms. The agency said Emami had planned to distribute the drugs across Lagos from a base in Lekki.
In a related operation, a businessman, Ajah Johnson Uchenna, and his wife, Rosemary, were arrested by the Department of State Services (DSS) in Ojo and later transferred to NDLEA custody along with 277.5kg of cannabis. Further investigations led to the discovery of an additional 231kg of the same substance stored at their home and packing location. Three other individuals, including their daughters, Ngozi and Blessing Uchenna, and a family friend, Okoro Elijah, were also arrested after being caught running the drug distribution operation in the absence of the couple.
Meanwhile, at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) in Lagos, a frequent flyer, Aburemi Hysent, was intercepted on Wednesday, 2nd July while attempting to smuggle 7,660 pills of tramadol hidden inside food items. He confessed he was to be paid €800 for successfully delivering the consignment to Italy.
Also at MMIA, NDLEA officers intercepted 52 pieces of suspected counterfeit travellers’ cheques worth 17.7 million Australian dollars. The cheques were hidden inside children’s books and bound for Malaysia via Turkish Airlines. A freight agent, Bolarinwa Saheed, was arrested and handed over to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for further investigation.
At the Seme border in Badagry, Lagos, officers recovered 718 balls of skunk weighing 359kg from a store in the Baba-Pupa area. On the Okene-Lokoja highway, operatives intercepted drug consignments containing 10,000 pills of tramadol and co-codamol, and 1.05kg of synthetic cannabis (Colorado). Follow-up operations led to the arrest of Chinedu Odo, Samuel Ogbonna, and Kingsley Ugaji at Jabi Park in Abuja.
In Osun State, eight suspects were arrested in separate raids at Osogbo and Ile-Ife, with a total of over 62,000 pills of opioids including tramadol, pentazocine injections, and codeine syrup recovered. A major raid on a cannabis farm in the Ikaka area of Oke-Ila forest led to the destruction of 24,175kg of cannabis cultivated on 9.67 hectares. Seven suspects were arrested on site.
In Borno, 167kg of cannabis was recovered in Gamboru-Ngala, while 452kg was seized on the Zaria-Kano road with two suspects apprehended. In Kaduna, 11,000 tramadol pills were recovered from one Sule Ibrahim Sadiq on the Abuja-Kaduna expressway.
Kebbi State operatives raided a drug base in Bakin Kasuwa Yauri, recovering 312kg of skunk and 10,000 diazepam tablets. Two men, Chigbo Okolo and Ishaku Musa, were later arrested in Taraba State with 49,930 tramadol capsules.
In Edo State, NDLEA officers raided cannabis farms in Ewere forest, Owan West LGA, arresting a wanted suspect, Alaba Monday, and three others with processed skunk recovered from farms measuring over two hectares.
A 78-year-old man, Mike Abeng, was arrested in Ofudua, Cross River State, with 14.49kg of cannabis and tramadol. Others arrested in the same operation included Oyom Akam, Sylvester Odem, and Moses Ayo.
The NDLEA also continued its War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) sensitisation campaign, delivering lectures to students and communities in Enugu, Lagos, Katsina, and Borno.
Chairman/Chief Executive of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), commended the officers and commands involved, praising their dedication in balancing drug supply reduction and demand reduction efforts nationwide.
