The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has intercepted a series of major drug trafficking attempts across Nigeria, including UK-bound cocaine concealed in body cream containers, methamphetamine hidden in a herbal tea pack, and a drug-fueled party in a popular Lagos nightclub attended by celebrities.
At the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Ikeja, NDLEA operatives uncovered 70 parcels of cocaine weighing 3.6 kilograms, factory-packed inside cocoa butter body cream containers and destined for London, United Kingdom on an Air Peace flight.
According to the Agency’s Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, the discovery was made on October 14 during the examination of cargoes declared as personal effects. The cargo agent, Lawal Mustapha Olakunle, who presented the consignment for air freight, was immediately arrested, while further investigations led to the apprehension of Ogunmuyide Taiwo Deborah, a healthcare worker, and Mutiu Adebayo Adebiyi, Chief Executive Officer of Mutiu Adebiyi & Co travel agency, in Lagos.
In a related operation, NDLEA officers at the Akanu Ibiam International Airport (AIIA) in Enugu foiled an attempt by 35-year-old Lemena Mark, a Lesotho national, to smuggle 103.59 grams of methamphetamine concealed in a Diabeta Herbs Coffee Tea pack to the Philippines. The suspect was arrested during outward clearance of passengers on an Ethiopian Airlines flight.
In Lagos, NDLEA operatives in the early hours of Sunday, October 26, stormed Proxy Nightclub, located on Akin Adesola Street, Victoria Island, where a drug party was underway. Over 100 suspects, including the club owner and socialite Mike Eze Nwalie Nwogu, popularly known as Pretty Mike, were taken into custody for screening. Cartons of Loud and laughing gas were recovered from both the venue and the club’s storage area.
Babafemi said the raid followed credible intelligence that the nightclub was hosting a drug-themed event, adding that undercover operatives infiltrated the gathering before it was disrupted around 3 a.m.
Similarly, NDLEA operatives across other parts of the country made several arrests and seizures, including large consignments of cannabis, tramadol, and new psychoactive substances in Kwara, Abia, Nasarawa, Kogi, and Zamfara States, as the Agency intensified its nationwide crackdown on drug trafficking and abuse. In one incident, a 75-year-old grandfather and a 60-year-old woman were arrested in Abia State for dealing in cannabis, while in Zamfara, a suspect was intercepted with an AK-47 rifle and over 1,700 rounds of ammunition.
The NDLEA also continued its War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) sensitization campaign across schools, religious institutions, and workplaces to promote awareness and prevention.
Commending the officers involved in the nationwide operations, NDLEA Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), praised their vigilance and professionalism, urging them to sustain the momentum in both enforcement and public enlightenment efforts.
