A 34-year-old Ugandan woman, Ms. Farida Nansubuga, has been arrested by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos, with 87 wraps of cocaine weighing 1.15 kilogrammes concealed around her pelvic region as she allegedly attempted to smuggle the drugs into Uganda.
The suspect, who reportedly travelled to Nigeria with members of her church for a spiritual renewal prayer session in Lagos, was arrested on Tuesday, November 3, 2026, at the screening point of Terminal 2 while preparing to board a Ugandan airline flight to her home country.
According to the NDLEA, the arrest followed a joint passenger screening exercise involving its operatives and aviation security personnel.
A body search raised suspicion of a substance concealed around her pelvic region, prompting her transfer to a designated private search room for further examination.
The secondary search led to the recovery of 87 wraps of cocaine weighing 1.15 kilogrammes, strapped around her pelvic region and secured beneath two layers of underwear.
The agency disclosed this in a statement issued on Sunday by its Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi.
During preliminary interrogation, Nansubuga reportedly said she arrived in Nigeria on October 29 with members of her church for a prayer session at The Synagogue Church of All Nations (SCOAN), in the Ikotun-Egbe area of Lagos.
She claimed that after the prayer session, other members of her delegation returned to Uganda while she remained behind to collect the consignment on behalf of a friend identified simply as Joy, who lives in Uganda.
According to the suspect, Joy directed her to a contact in Nigeria, who arranged transportation to a hotel on the morning of her scheduled departure.
She alleged that the man handed her the cocaine at the hotel and instructed her to conceal it beneath her clothing to evade airport security screening.
Although no specific payment was agreed upon, Nansubuga reportedly said she expected to receive at least $1,000 upon successfully delivering the consignment in Uganda.
