A 25-year-old newlywed businessman, Lovely Chukwulobelu, has been arrested by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) at the Akanu Ibiam International Airport (AIIA), Enugu, after he ingested 72 wraps of cocaine allegedly destined for Portugal.
Chukwulobelu was intercepted at the airport’s departure hall on Thursday, September 25, 2026, while attempting to board an Ethiopian Airlines flight to Portugal via Addis Ababa.
The suspect, who had his wedding ring on his finger, was placed under excretion observation after NDLEA officers suspected that he had ingested illicit drugs. He subsequently excreted all 72 wraps of the Class A substance.
During preliminary questioning, Chukwulobelu reportedly said he was involved in car decoration at the Trade Fair Complex in the Ojo area of Lagos before relocating to Portugal in May 2023.
He explained that he had recently returned to Nigeria for his wedding on September 13 and allegedly turned to drug trafficking in an attempt to offset expenses incurred during the ceremony.
NDLEA Seizes Over 2.5m Opioid Pills in Lagos
Meanwhile, NDLEA operatives at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos, have intercepted one of the agency’s biggest opioid consignments of the year.
The seizure followed the joint examination of three monitored consignments at the airport’s import shed on Tuesday, September 22.
A total of 2,550,000 pills of Tramaking 225mg, Tramaking 250mg and Royal Tapentadol 250mg were recovered, with a combined gross weight of 1,640.55kg.
The consignments were imported from India and Bangladesh through Qatar Airways, RwandAir and Ethiopian Airlines.
Bauchi Truck Conceals 262.5kg Cannabis
In Bauchi State, NDLEA operatives arrested two suspects, Umar Hamidu, 35, and Abdulkarim Salihu, 45, along the Maiduguri bypass.
The suspects were allegedly transporting 300 compressed blocks of skunk, weighing 262.5kg, concealed inside a false compartment of a truck marked MUB757 YH.
In Edo State, NDLEA officers, supported by soldiers, destroyed two cannabis farms at Eko Camp, Ilushi, on Wednesday, September 23. The farms had a combined estimated yield of 1,360.23kg of cannabis.
NDLEA Raids Lagos, Recovers Cannabis, Opioids
In Lagos, two women, Odumabo Kehinde, 36, and Obiekwe Chioma, 40, were arrested on Saturday, September 26, during a raid on Anifowoshe Street, Mushin.
The operation led to the recovery of 3.4kg of skunk from the suspects.
On the same day, NDLEA operatives intercepted 58-year-old Ugwu Johnson at the Ebute-Ero motor park with several consignments of illicit drugs.
The recovered substances included 5.920kg of skunk, 2,400 ampoules of pentazocine injection, 8,400 tablets of nitrazepam and 40,000 pills of tramadol.
Two Togolese Nationals Arrested With 305.6kg Cannabis
In Oyo State, two Togolese nationals, Yinusa Abdulsamad, 35, and Fatai Baba, 33, were arrested along the Iganna-Ilero Road, Iganna, on Saturday.
NDLEA officers recovered 305.6kg of skunk concealed inside two pickup vans allegedly being used in a cross-border trafficking operation.
The agency said the suspects were moving Ghanaian-sourced cannabis into Nigeria through the Oyo axis.
Five Arrested With 1.6 Tonnes of Laughing Gas
At the Seme border in Badagry, Lagos, NDLEA operatives arrested five suspects in connection with the movement of 420 cartons of nitrous oxide, popularly known as laughing gas.
The consignment weighed 1,688.4kg and was allegedly being transported from the border into Lagos.
Those arrested were Kingsley John, 40; John Chibuike Okeke, 44; Lamidi Ismaila, 40; Babatunde Samuel, 42; and Afeesu Idowu, 47.
Two vehicles allegedly used to convey the consignment were also seized.
NDLEA Intensifies Anti-Drug Campaign
Beyond arrests and seizures, NDLEA commands and formations across the country continued their War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) sensitisation campaigns in schools, worship centres, workplaces and communities.