The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested a 43-year-old makeup artist, Mary Adekoya, at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) in Lagos for attempting to smuggle 2.20 kilograms of cocaine to India via Doha.
According to the NDLEA, Adekoya claimed she was traveling to India for fibroid surgery, but investigations revealed she was recruited and funded by a drug baron, Akeem Ayinde Adekanbi, who owns Rockford Hotel in Sango, Ogun State.
In a statement by the NDLEA’s Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, on Sunday, the agency said Adekoya, who claimed to be travelling to India for fibroid surgery, was arrested by its operatives at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Ikeja, Lagos.
It said the suspect was arrested on Monday, June 16, 2025, based on credible intelligence.
The statement explained that under surveillance, Adekoya was allowed to check in her luggage and was arrested at the point of boarding her Qatar Airways flight to India via Doha.
The statement reads in part, “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 a 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.”
Meanwhile, the agency also said it 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 on Thursday, June 19, while at another courier firm the previous day, its operatives uncovered 850grams of cocaine concealed in cloth hangers heading for Australia.
The statement also disclosed that its officers in Bauchi State, acting on credible intelligence on Monday, June 16, arrested the duo of Ibrahim Galadima, 37, and Ibrahim Muhammed, 28, along the Bauchi-Darazo Road.
A total of 1,013,000 pills of opioids, namely: tramadol, diazepam, and exol-5, were said to have been recovered from them.
“While 38-year-old Bishir Isyaku was nabbed on 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 Abattoir and Torabora areas of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT.
”Recovered from them include 6.9kg of skunk and 59 grams of methamphetamine,” the statement added.
In Kano, it said its officers on patrol along the Zaria-Kano Road on Thursday, June 19, arrested Umar Hamisu, 19, and Dahiru Abdullahi, 32, with 56.2kg of skunk, while another suspect, Obiwuru Henry, 27, was also nabbed with 23,720 capsules of tramadol and 1,400 ampoules of pentazocine along Jaba Road in Fagge.
The statement added, “Similarly, Abubakar Modu, 60, was nabbed with 36.6kg skunk and Abdulkadir Muhammed, 28, with 32kg of the same substance along Zaria-Kano road on Saturday, 21st June.
”A 22-year-old female student of Kwara State Polytechnic, Olotin Nifemi, notorious for selling illicit substances to other students, was on Thursday, June 19, arrested at her base along Kwara Poly road, Ilorin, with 1kg of skunk.
“A total of 4,226.11kg of skunk was destroyed at Ugbada camp, Uzebba forest, Owan West LGA, Edo state, when NDLEA operatives raided the camp to destroy cannabis farms on Friday, June 20.
”A suspect, Albert Shamaki, 33, was nabbed during the operation. Operatives had on Thursday, June 19, raided the Big Jamaya supermarket at Emado community in Esan West LGA, where a suspect, Esther Abumere, 28, was arrested and assorted illicit drugs recovered.
“Illicit substances seized include: Colorado, Loud, Molly, tramadol, and other opioids. Another raid at a provision shop at Idumeka Igueben led to the seizure of 1.143kg skunk and the arrest of a female suspect, Eko Gift, 38.”
While commending the officers and men of the MMIA, DOGI, Bauchi, Kaduna, Kano, Kwara, Edo, and FCT commands of the agency for the arrests and seizures of the past week, the Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd.) also praised their counterparts in all the commands across the country for pursuing a fair balance between their drug supply reduction and drug demand reduction efforts.
