NDLEA Arrests Woman With Cocaine, Seizes N12.4bn Worth Of Cannabis

Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have arrested a 38-year-old businesswoman, Iwebema Ogechi Peace, for allegedly attempting to smuggle 7.5 kilograms of cocaine concealed in the false bottom of her luggage at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos.

The agency also intercepted a 4,959kg shipment of Canadian Loud, a potent strain of cannabis valued at N12.397 billion, uncovered a syndicate that planted illicit drugs in the luggage of unsuspecting passengers, and made several other arrests in Lagos, Abuja and other parts of the country.

NDLEA spokesperson, Femi Babafemi, disclosed the arrests and seizures in a statement issued on Sunday.

According to him, Iwebema was arrested at the departure hall of Terminal 2 of the Lagos airport on Sunday, June 21, 2026, while preparing to board a Qatar Airways flight to Beijing, China.

She reportedly told investigators she travelled regularly to China to purchase goods for sale in Nigeria.

“A search of her check-in luggage led to the discovery of four large parcels of cocaine concealed in false bottom professionally created in her bag. The parcels of the class A drug found hidden in the bag have a combined weight of 7.5 kilograms.

“In another major interdiction operation, efforts by operatives of two Special Operations Units of NDLEA tracking and monitoring a container laden with 195 big sacks of Canadian Loud, a strong strain of cannabis from Toronto, Canada, for over four weeks paid off on Wednesday 23rd June 2026 when a total of 4,959 kilograms of the illicit drug consignment worth Twelve Billion Three Hundred and Ninety Seven Million Five Hundred Thousand Naira (N12,397,500,000) in street value, were recovered from the container during a joint examination of the shipment by officers of the Apapa Strategic Command of the Agency, men of Customs Service, other security agencies and ports stakeholders at the Apapa ports complex, Lagos.

“The large illicit drug consignment which was loaded into a 40ft container comprising a Ford and a Nissan vehicle came under NDLEA tracking and monitoring system since 25th April 2026 when it arrived Toronto, Canada via truck, Montreal via rail on 29th April, Tanger Med Morocco on 11th May, loaded on another vessel on 23rd May before arriving Tincan port Lagos on 4th June and discharged there 5th June before the container eventually left Tincan and arrived Apapa port on Monday 22nd June,” Babafemi said.

The NDLEA also uncovered a syndicate that planted illicit drugs in the luggage of unsuspecting passengers at motor parks during a joint operation involving its operatives in the FCT and Anambra State.

“Their trick came to the fore when operatives in Abuja intercepted a consignment of methamphetamine in a Sienna bus coming from Nnewi Anambra State at Abaji, FCT on Saturday 20th June, 2026.

“During a search of the bus, a waybill package was recovered containing whitish substances suspected to be methamphetamine concealed inside a black nylon bag, which was also put into another sack of clothes with the phone number of the receiver written on it.

“A follow up operation conducted same day led to the arrest of the supposed receiver of the waybill, Mrs. Gloria Peter, at Utako motor park.

“She, however, vehemently denied knowledge and ownership of the package in her luggage. This led to a swift arrest of the loaders of the Sienna bus in Nnewi where one of them revealed that the drug package was put into the woman’s bag by him on the directive of the driver of the bus, Abdurrazak Isah.

“His revelations made the driver to open up and mentioned one of his passengers, Onyebuchi Victor Okoye, as the actual owner of the drug, who was then picked up at Utako, FCT during another follow up operation. The illicit consignment weighed 467.7grams,” the statement added.

According to the statement, operatives of a Special Operations Unit of NDLEA on Saturday, June 27, acting on credible intelligence, arrested 57-year-old Ikechukwu Uwakwe at a motor park in Iddo, Lagos, with 209.50kg of Scottish Loud, a strong strain of cannabis.

The illicit consignment was allegedly being transported to Enugu when it was intercepted.

“Two nationals of Benin Republic: Hossou Tito Julien, 30; and Mancellim Dossou, 19 as well as a Nigerian, Jackson ThankGod, have been arrested by NDLEA operatives following credible intelligence.

“They were nabbed on the Mile 2 bridge when their truck conveying illicit drug consignment from Togo through Benin Republic was intercepted on Sunday 21st June.

“A thorough search of the truck led to the recovery of Five Hundred and Fifty-Eight Thousand Nine Hundred (558,900) pills of Tramadol 250mg, concealed in a fabricated compartment of the vehicle. Two suspects: Lucky Abonga and Osas Azamobo were also arrested along Lagos–Ibadan expressway on Friday 26th June while transporting 118kg skunk, among other legitimate goods in a truck, which left Ebute Ero area of Lagos Island, heading to Onitsha, Anambra State.”

In another operation in Lagos, Helen Ese Idiji, 40, and Rashidat Sa’adullah, 53, were arrested on Friday, June 26, at 15 Olumokun Street, Amukoko, with 28.8kg of skunk recovered from them.

“Investigation revealed that the principal suspect, Helen, stored her illicit consignments with the second suspect, Rashidat, from where she distributed to her customers.

With the same zeal, Commands and formations of the Agency across the country continued their War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) sensitisation activities in schools, worship centres, work places and communities, among others, in the past week.

While commending the officers and men of the MMIA, SOUs, Apapa, FCT, Anambra, and Lagos Commands of the Agency for the arrests and seizures, Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd) noted their drug supply reduction efforts balanced with WADA sensitisation activities, charging them and their compatriots across the country to sustain the tempo.”