China trip ends in arrest as NDLEA nabs 64-year-old cocaine courier at Kano airport

Stanley Ihedigbo

Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have arrested a 62-year-old Lagos-based businessman, Nwabueze Nicholas Izueke, at Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport (MAKIA), Kano, for attempting to smuggle 95 jumbo-sized wraps of cocaine weighing 1.589 kilograms in his stomach while travelling to China.

According to the Director, Media & Advocacy, NDLEA, Femi Babafemi, Nwabueze was arrested on Saturday, 31 January 2026, at the Kano airport during the outward clearance of passengers travelling to China via Addis Ababa on Ethiopian Airlines flight ET940. When taken for a body scan, he tested positive for ingesting illicit drugs and was promptly placed under excretion observation.

While under observation, the suspect, who claims he is in the clothing and auto spare parts business in Lagos, expelled a total of 95 pellets of the Class A drug in seven excretions.

In his statement, he said he decided to engage in illicit drug trafficking to raise enough money to complete the country home he is building in his village, Iwollo, Enugu State.

While a total of 627.7 kilograms of skunk, a strain of cannabis, was recovered from a makeshift warehouse within Fums Plaza in Kubwa, FCT, an attempt by Ebube Okeke, Evans Ugwu, Mohammed Eze Arinze, and Friday Michael to smuggle consignments of methamphetamine concealed in MP3 speakers from Enugu to Abuja and Kaduna was foiled on Friday, 6 February, by NDLEA operatives in Abuja who intercepted the consignments in a bus.

A follow-up operation in Zuba, FCT, led to the arrest of Ebube Okeke, who is the owner of one of the parcels containing 173 grams of meth, while the trio of Evans Ugwu, Mohammed Eze Arinze, and Friday Michael were nabbed on Saturday, 7 February, in Kaduna when they showed up to collect the second consignment weighing 28 grams of meth.

In a similar development, NDLEA operatives at the Dan-Anacha patrol point, Gassol Local Government Area of Taraba State, on Friday, 6 February, intercepted a suspect, Yusuf Abubakar, 32, conveying packs of Hollandia yogurt from Lagos to Mubi, Adamawa State.

Acting on intelligence, NDLEA officers searched the yogurt packs, some of which were used to conceal wraps of white powdery substance that tested positive for methamphetamine weighing 1.8 kilograms.

In Oyo State, NDLEA officers on Thursday, 5 February, arrested a Beninoise, Shuaibu Abdulrahman, 29, at Ibudo-Igboho village, Sooro Kishi, where they recovered 149.6kg of skunk concealed in rice chaff.

In a separate operation in Ibadan, a suspect, Adeniyi Adeola (a.k.a. Prince), was nabbed at Foko, Agbeni Market, on Wednesday, 4 February. Recovered from his truck marked BDJ 767 YC were 10,820 ampoules of pentazocine injection and 117,820 capsules of tramadol.

Also in Ibadan, a drug kingpin, Jimoh Nurudeen, 40, who owns a facility where he produces Colorado, a synthetic cannabis, was arrested on Saturday, 7 February, at the Badeku area of Ibadan, along with his accomplice, Ogundipe Yusuf, 27. Recovered from them were 8 litres of precursor chemicals, 14 grams of skunk, and other paraphernalia for Colos production, as well as a monetary exhibit of ₦7,408,400.00 and two vehicles: a Mercedes-Benz SUV marked ABC 832 AZ and a Toyota Highlander with registration number RBC 243 BS.

In Kwara State, NDLEA operatives on Saturday, 7 February, intercepted a fuel tanker conveying petrol from Lagos to Maiduguri, Borno State. A search of the truck led to the recovery of 395,400 capsules of tramadol concealed in parts of the petrol-laden truck, while the driver was taken into custody.

While a couple, Izuchukwu Azubuike, 37, and Ifunaya Mmadueke, 32, were arrested at Umuaka, Njaba, Imo State, with 203kg of skunk on Saturday, 7 February, operatives in Ondo State on Friday, 6 February, recovered 420kg of skunk in a bush at Ikun Akoko.

No fewer than 31 wraps of cocaine hidden in a handbag were seized by operatives of the Marine Command of NDLEA from a suspect, Eze Nodebechi Austin, upon his arrival from Cote d’Ivoire in a passenger boat at Yekeme, Badagry, Lagos State, on Friday, 6 February.

A suspect, Adekunle Oluwatosin Olajide, was arrested on Wednesday, 4 February, at Lagos Island by NDLEA operatives who recovered 3.6 kilograms of Canadian Loud and Colorado from him. In Enugu, a drug dealer, Emeka Okeke, 37, was nabbed in his hideout at Akuruka Street, Asata, Ezeagu, where various quantities of skunk, meth, cocaine, and molly, as well as a ₦457,700 monetary exhibit, were seized from him.

Meanwhile, across all commands and formations of the Agency nationwide, NDLEA officers continued their War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) sensitisation activities in schools, worship centres, workplaces, and communities, among others, in the past week.

These include WADA enlightenment lectures to students and staff of Agulu Awka Community Secondary School, Awka, Anambra State; Oke-Odo Community High School, Igboora, Oyo State; and Wisdom Foundation Secondary School, Ado, Lagos State, while the Niger State Command of NDLEA paid a WADA advocacy visit to the Emir of Suleja, Alhaji Mohammed Auwal Ibrahim, among others.

While commending the officers and men of MAKIA, Marine, FCT, Taraba, Oyo, Kwara, Imo, Ondo, and Lagos Commands for the arrests and seizures, Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd) enjoined them and their colleagues across the country to maintain the current level of professionalism and commitment in all their drug supply and drug demand reduction activities.