March 15, (THEWILL) — Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have arrested a 74-year-old man, Ikwuakalom Nwakoro Emeka, at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport (NAIA), Abuja, after discovering a large consignment of cocaine concealed in his luggage.
The septuagenarian, who claimed he was travelling to London, United Kingdom, for a vacation, was apprehended at the departure hall of the Abuja airport on Saturday, March 14, 2026, while attempting to board a British Airways flight BA082 to Heathrow Airport.
The arrest was disclosed in a statement issued on Sunday, March 15, 2026, by the NDLEA’s Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, who revealed that a thorough search of the suspect’s luggage uncovered 11 kilograms of cocaine concealed inside food items, including ground dry pepper, and carefully wrapped in foil papers and balloons to evade detection.
In a related development, NDLEA operatives acting on credible intelligence in the early hours of Monday, March 9, arrested a woman, Mrs. Maryam Olalowo, at Ikad Hotel and Suites on Etim Inyang Street, Victoria Island, Lagos. She was caught attempting to sell 89 grams of cocaine and 20 grams of Canadian Loud, a strain of cannabis.
At the time of the arrest, she was with her three children, including an infant. During interrogation, she confessed that the illicit drugs belonged to her husband, Ibrahim Olalowo Olatunji.
Olatunji was subsequently arrested later the same day and took responsibility for the drugs in his statement.
Further investigations revealed that he had previously been arrested, convicted and sentenced to two and a half years imprisonment for a similar offence in 2015.
In another operation on Monday, March 9, NDLEA officers arrested two suspects, Kalilou Simpara and Saidu Ibrahim, at Ebute Ero, Lagos Island.
A total of 68,000 pills of tramadol (250mg and 225mg) were recovered after the suspects had loaded the drugs into a truck and were preparing to transport them to the Benin Republic.
A follow-up operation on Wednesday, March 11, at Idumota Market led to the arrest of the alleged owner of the consignment, Nnamdi Cyprian. A search of his shop uncovered a parcel prepared for waybill delivery containing 1,000 tablets of tramadol (250mg).
Another raid at Idumota Market on Friday, March 13, resulted in the arrest of Nwanosike Kelvin and the recovery of 47,500 ampoules of pentazocine injection from his shop.
In Kano State, NDLEA operatives arrested a 42-year-old suspect, Magaji Dan Azumi, at Bebeji area with 386 kilograms of skunk on Tuesday, March 10.
Similarly, officers in the Federal Capital Territory recovered 282.2 kilograms of skunk from a suspect, Isah Wako, also 42, in the Gwagwalada area on Friday, March 13.
In Edo State, operatives raided the Egwa Forest Reserve in Aduan village, Orhionmwon Local Government Area, where a suspect, Chinedo Odalonu, 33, was apprehended.
During the operation, a total of 4,218.96 kilograms of skunk was destroyed on two cannabis farms, while 16.5 kilograms of the substance was recovered.
Meanwhile, NDLEA officers, in collaboration with the Nigeria Customs Service and other security agencies, intercepted no fewer than 339,800 bottles of codeine-based syrup concealed in two containers at the Apapa Seaport in Lagos on Saturday, March 14.
The containers had earlier been placed on NDLEA’s watch list following credible intelligence that they contained concealed opioids.
The agency also continued its War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) advocacy campaign across the country during the week.
Sensitisation lectures were delivered to students and staff of several schools, including ERCC Secondary School, Duguru in Nasarawa State; Awoyemi Commercial High School, Okeho in Oyo State; Ogunu Primary School, Ogunu in Delta State; Seven Angels University Secondary School, Ikot Enobong in Calabar, Cross River State; and Edo National College, Iguobazuwa in Edo State.
Additionally, the Zone 11 Command of the NDLEA paid a WADA advocacy visit to the Governor of Ebonyi State, Francis Ogbonna Nwifuru.
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), commended officers and men of the NAIA, Lagos, Kano, Edo and FCT Commands for the arrests and seizures recorded in the past week.
He also praised operatives across other commands of the agency for maintaining a balance between drug supply reduction and drug demand reduction efforts in the ongoing fight against drug abuse in the country.
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