The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has intercepted cocaine hidden in food flasks and cannabis concealed in snack packs and cargo shipments, while also arresting multiple suspects in coordinated nationwide operations.
The agency said 12 large parcels of cocaine, weighing 2.80 kilograms, were discovered inside false compartments of food flasks at the export shed of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos.
The consignment, according to officials, was headed for the United Kingdom aboard a Virgin Atlantic flight.
In a statement issued on Sunday by the Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, the interception was carried out on April 9, 2026, leading to the arrest of two cargo agents, identified as Ama Obinna Ufeim, 33, and Ogabi Monday Akorede, 39.
Further investigation, the agency said, revealed that the shipment was traced to a 52-year-old freight forwarder, Agoro Tajudeen Moninuola, who was later arrested in connection with the drug trafficking attempt.
In a separate operation at the airport’s import shed, NDLEA officers on April 8 intercepted 2.90 kilograms of “Loud,” a high-grade strain of cannabis, concealed in snack packs shipped from the United States via a Delta Air Lines flight.
Two clearing agents, Animashaun Moshood Adetunji and Mercy Gabriel Oluwasegun, were initially taken into custody, while the consignee, 29-year-old fashion designer Saheed Adeshina Adegoke, was later arrested at his residence in Ogba, Lagos.
Beyond the airport operations, the agency intensified raids across several states.
In Kaduna State, NDLEA operatives intercepted a cement-laden trailer along the Kaduna–Zaria highway and recovered 847 kilograms of skunk hidden inside the cargo. The truck driver, Umar Garba Haruna, 33, was arrested at the scene.
In Cross River State, a joint operation involving NDLEA personnel and soldiers led to the arrest of 53-year-old Alice Sunday Udoh during a raid on a forested cannabis plantation in Uwet community, Akamkpa Local Government Area.
The operation resulted in the destruction of about 15,000 kilograms of skunk cultivated across six hectares of farmland, while an additional 119 kilograms were recovered from the site.
Similarly, in Edo State, NDLEA operatives raided a cannabis farm at Saboro camp in Ovia North East Local Government Area, destroying 2,281.43 kilograms of the substance.
Three suspects—Nweke Smart, 27; Christopher Egbe, 62; and Monday Ayan, 45—were arrested, with some found in possession of processed cannabis and seeds.
In Delta State, two suspects, Sunday Odili, 49, and Ijenebe Joshua, 39, were arrested with 87.838 kilograms of skunk and cannabis seeds at the Powerline area of Okwo.
Back in Lagos, NDLEA operatives intercepted Chinedu Ogbekene and Zindozin Aloukou Bienvenu along the Mile 2–Badagry expressway while they attempted to move 11,900 capsules of tramadol and 400 ampoules of phenobarbital injections to Ghana.
On the same day, a raid on a two-storey building on Lagos Island led to the recovery of 95.8 kilograms of skunk.
The agency also highlighted ongoing sensitisation efforts under its War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) campaign, noting that awareness programmes were conducted in schools, worship centres, workplaces, and communities across the country during the week.
Commending officers across various commands, NDLEA Chairman/Chief Executive Officer, Mohamed Buba Marwa, praised what he described as a balance between enforcement and public education.
“I commend the officers and men of MMIA, Edo, Delta, Cross River, Kaduna, and Lagos Commands for the arrests and seizures.
“Their drug supply reduction efforts are well balanced with WADA sensitisation activities,” he said.
Marwa also urged operatives nationwide to sustain the momentum, calling on them to “maintain the current tempo” in the fight against drug trafficking and abuse.
