Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have intercepted a Milan-bound businessman with 4.80 kilograms of cocaine concealed in the soles of shoes and the railings of travelling bags at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Ikeja, Lagos.
The 38-year-old suspect, identified as Philip Tunde, was arrested on Sunday, September 27, 2026, at the joint screening point of Terminal 2 of the airport while preparing to board a Royal Air Maroc flight to Milan, Italy.
According to the NDLEA, a thorough search of the suspect’s luggage led to the discovery of 16 parcels of a white powdery substance concealed in the soles of eight pairs of trainers and canvas shoes.
Another 195 wraps of the substance were allegedly hidden in the railings of four travelling bags.
The agency said the substances tested positive for cocaine, with a combined weight of 4.80kg.
During interrogation, Tunde allegedly told investigators that he paid ₦16 million in cash for the cocaine concealed in the shoes, while the consignment hidden in the bags was intended for delivery to his partner in Italy.
He reportedly claimed that he raised the money from compensation paid to him following an injury he sustained while working at a plastic manufacturing company in Italy, where he lost the tips of two fingers.
The airport interception was among several major operations carried out by the NDLEA across the country, including at the Apapa, Tincan Island and Onne ports, where officers intercepted large consignments of illicit drugs worth more than ₦5 billion.
At the Apapa Port in Lagos, NDLEA operatives, acting on intelligence, subjected two containers originating from Bangkok, Thailand, to 100 percent examination in collaboration with the Nigeria Customs Service and other stakeholders.
A search of one of the containers on September 3 resulted in the recovery of 161 parcels of Thai Loud weighing 124kg. The consignment, concealed inside two refrigerators and two cartons, was valued at ₦372 million.
At the Onne Port in Rivers State, two containers placed on the agency’s watch list following intelligence were subjected to a joint examination.
The NDLEA said 40 packs of Loud weighing 22kg were found concealed in a travelling bag and three of five vehicles — a Toyota Matrix, Toyota Corolla and Hyundai Elantra — shipped in one of the containers.
The second container contained 109,600 bottles of codeine-based cough syrup weighing 16,440kg.
According to the agency, the container originated from India and was initially shipped to Saudi Arabia, where information about its origin was deleted in an apparent attempt to prevent it from being targeted.
The NDLEA said the Loud and codeine consignments intercepted at Onne had a combined street value of ₦833.2 million.
At the Tincan Island Port in Lagos, operatives on September 29 conducted a joint examination of a watch-listed container from Montreal, Canada, alongside Customs and other stakeholders.
The search led to the discovery of 2,595 parcels of Canadian Loud weighing 1,297.5kg. The consignment, concealed in a Toyota Sienna and Hyundai Elantra, alongside 24 blue drums and six jumbo bags, was valued at more than ₦3.8 billion.
The NDLEA also reported major seizures and arrests in other parts of the country.
In Osun State, operatives destroyed 20,234kg of skunk found on 8.0936 hectares of cannabis farm in Area 4, Ife South Local Government Area, on September 30.
In Plateau State, a 41-year-old suspect, Agbo Dennis, was arrested on September 29 at the West of Mines area of Jos North following the seizure of 33 bags of skunk weighing 385kg.
In Lagos, NDLEA operatives raided an unoccupied compound at Divine Estate, Ago Palace, on September 28 and recovered 209,000 tablets of tramadol.
A follow-up operation in the Ladipo Spare Parts Market on September 30 also led to the arrest of 23-year-old Ekundayo Taiwo.
The arrest followed the seizure of 61 grammes of Colorado, a synthetic strain of cannabis, and 24 grammes of methamphetamine concealed in a bottle of an energy drink and sent as a waybill package through a commercial bus driver travelling along the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway.
In Kogi State, NDLEA officers on patrol along the Okene-Lokoja Highway intercepted a Lagos-Abuja commuter bus on September 30 and discovered a waybill containing two sachets of methamphetamine weighing 1kg.
A follow-up investigation led to the arrest of the alleged owner of the consignment, 29-year-old Michael Chukwuememka Uzoma, at Utako, Abuja.
In Edo State, the residence of 35-year-old Saturday Omimi at Uyere community, Ovia North-East Local Government Area, was raided on October 2, leading to the recovery of 32.2kg of cannabis sativa.
The same day, 23-year-old Osazuwa Iyabor Michael was arrested at Auchi Bypass, Benin City, with 59 grammes of Loud, 12 grammes of Colorado, 19 grammes of tramadol, 16 grammes of methamphetamine, four grammes of Swinol and four grammes of Molly.
The NDLEA also announced the arrest of 47-year-old Idris Mohammed Kurra, who had been wanted for six years after jumping bail in a drug trafficking case.
Kurra was arrested on September 29. He was facing trial before the Federal High Court in Jos, Plateau State, over alleged possession and dealing in 198kg of skunk.
The agency said he had been granted bail in December 2020 but subsequently absconded and evaded arrest until his recent apprehension.
Beyond seizures and arrests, NDLEA commands and formations across the country continued their War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) sensitisation campaigns in schools, worship centres, workplaces and communities.
The agency said recent programmes were held at St. Paul’s Secondary School, Oji, Enugu; Olu-Odo Primary School, Igbogbo, Ikorodu, Lagos; Government Junior Secondary School, Tsamiya, Kano; Christ’s School, Ado Ekiti; and Government Science Secondary School, Lokoja, Kogi State, among others.
Commending officers and men of the MMIA, Apapa, Tincan, PHPC, Lagos, Edo, Bauchi, Plateau and Osun Commands for what he described as professionalism and intelligence-driven operations, NDLEA Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (rtd), urged personnel to sustain the pressure on drug trafficking networks.
Marwa also directed officers across the country to maintain the agency’s balanced approach to drug control, combining enforcement operations with prevention, sensitisation and other measures aimed at tackling the illicit drug trade.
