A Nigerian businessman based in China and two Angolan nationals have expelled a total of 236 wraps of cocaine after being arrested by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport and the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport.The Nigerian suspect, Ibeanu Chukwudulue, 34, was apprehended on Wednesday, February 4, 2026, while travelling on a Qatar Airways flight from Kano to China, with stopovers in Abuja and Doha.
In a statement issued on Sunday, the agency’s spokesperson, Femi Babafemi, said operatives acted on intelligence reports and requested that the suspect be removed from the aircraft in Abuja, where a body scan confirmed he had ingested illicit substances. According to the statement, the scan result showed the presence of drugs in his system, after which he was placed under observation. He later excreted 52 pellets of cocaine weighing 735.95 grams. During interrogation, Ibeanu disclosed that he previously ran a business on Lagos Island before relocating to Guangzhou in 2024.
On the same day in Kano, NDLEA officers intercepted two Angolan nationals, Mbandu Makiadi, 50, and Ngoma Wilson Fernando, 52, during outbound screening for an Ethiopian Airlines flight bound for Istanbul via Addis Ababa. Babafemi said body scans revealed that both men had ingested illicit drugs, leading to their placement under observation for excretion. Mbandu reportedly expelled 76 wraps of cocaine weighing 920 grams in seven sessions, while Ngoma excreted 108 pellets weighing 1.33 kilograms in five sessions.During questioning, the suspects, who are from Hoji Ya Henda in Luanda, claimed they were recruited by an automobile spare parts dealer based in the Angolan capital, who allegedly promised to pay them $3,000 each upon successful delivery of the drugs in Turkey.
In a related operation in Lagos, Babafemi said NDLEA officers foiled an attempt by a convicted drug trafficker, Olashupo Michael Oladimeji, to export 1.10 kilograms of cocaine concealed in processed cassava granules, commonly known as garri, to London on a Virgin Atlantic flight.He added that Oladimeji is currently serving a five-year prison sentence at the Ikoyi Correctional Centre following his 2025 conviction for conspiracy to unlawfully export 17.90 kilograms of cocaine. Investigations revealed that he allegedly coordinated the latest trafficking attempt from prison using his logistics firm, Dimeji Express Logistics.
A staff member of the company, Adedeji Yusuf Gbolahan, who presented the consignment for export, was arrested, while further investigations showed that Oladimeji directed him to collect the package from Oshodi. Also in Lagos, NDLEA operatives intercepted another export attempt involving 1.70 kilograms of skunk concealed inside five jerry cans destined for the United Kingdom. A cargo agent was arrested at the export shed, while the main suspect, Adelaja Taiwo Adetayo, 44, was later apprehended in the Ahmadiyya area of the state.
In Abuja, Babafemi said officers intercepted a waybill package sent from Enugu that concealed Canadian Loud cannabis inside a children’s toy guitar. A follow-up operation led to the arrest of the consignor, Henry Onuma, at Dream City Estate in Life Camp. The agency also reported the arrest of a female drug dealer, Oluwayemisi Bunmi, 45, in the Hope Alakia area of Ibadan, Oyo State, where officers recovered quantities of skunk, methamphetamine, cash exhibits and two vehicles.
In another operation, NDLEA operatives intercepted a J5 vehicle at Bode Saadu in Kwara State, leading to the recovery of more than 105,000 pills of tramadol from a suspect, Kamilu Abdullahi, 43.The agency said it has intensified nationwide interdiction operations in response to a rise in attempts to smuggle illicit drugs through Nigeria’s international airports and logistics networks.
Source: https://punchng.com/
