The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested a Brazil-based Nigerian businessman for allegedly attempting to smuggle 6.10 kilograms of cocaine into the country through the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos.
The suspect, identified as 41-year-old Abugu Oliver Ikechukwu, was intercepted by anti-narcotics operatives upon his arrival from São Paulo, Brazil, via Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, following intelligence-led surveillance by the agency.
According to the NDLEA, officers discovered the illicit substance concealed in clothing items, including shirts and towels that had been soaked in liquid cocaine, dried, and carefully ironed in an attempt to evade airport security screening systems.
The agency disclosed that the suspect was placed under observation before his luggage was subjected to a detailed search, leading to the discovery of the narcotics.
Investigators said Ikechukwu told authorities he had lived in Brazil for more than 14 years, where he operates an African restaurant business. He reportedly claimed that he travelled to Nigeria to visit his family and purchase food items in bulk for export to South America.
The seizure highlights what security experts describe as the growing sophistication of transnational drug trafficking networks operating between South America and West Africa. Drug cartels have increasingly adopted unconventional concealment methods, including liquid narcotics infused into fabrics and other consumer goods, to bypass detection at international airports.
NDLEA Drug Crackdown
The arrest forms part of a broader nationwide crackdown by the NDLEA targeting drug trafficking syndicates across Nigeria’s air, sea, and land borders.
In a series of coordinated operations conducted across multiple states, the agency recorded several arrests and major drug seizures. In Abia State, operatives arrested a 60-year-old woman and recovered 1.8 kilograms of skunk. In Rivers State, another suspect was apprehended with methamphetamine, tramadol, diazepam, and cannabis.
Additional operations in Delta State led to the interception of 2.8 kilograms of high-grade cannabis, popularly known as “Loud,” concealed inside gas cylinders, while authorities in Gombe arrested two suspects with 2.7 kilograms of skunk.
In Kano State, anti-narcotics officers seized 6,000 tablets of tramadol along the Zaria-Kano highway, while in Kwara State two suspects were arrested with 304 kilograms of cannabis hidden inside a vehicle.
One of the largest seizures occurred in Taraba State, where a warehouse raid resulted in the recovery of more than 1.1 tonnes of cannabis. In the Federal Capital Territory, operatives confiscated various controlled substances, including tramadol, pregabalin, ecstasy, and codeine syrup.
Meanwhile, in Lagos, NDLEA officers recovered over 1,100 kilograms of “Ghana Loud” cannabis around the Alaba International Market area.
The agency said the operations align with its ongoing War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) campaign, which combines law enforcement actions with public sensitisation efforts aimed at reducing drug abuse and trafficking nationwide.
The latest arrest comes amid a period of intensified enforcement activity by the NDLEA. The agency secured 974 convictions during the first quarter of 2026, including 11 convicted drug kingpins sentenced to a combined 254 years imprisonment.
The NDLEA has also recorded major successes in maritime drug enforcement, including recent convictions involving foreign vessels and crew members linked to cocaine trafficking through Nigerian ports.
Security analysts say the interception at Lagos airport underscores the agency’s growing intelligence capabilities and its continued focus on disrupting international trafficking routes connecting South America, Europe, and West Africa.
