NDLEA’s “Zero Drug Country” campaign has struck again, dismantling a cross-border trafficking attempt at Nigeria’s major gateways. Operatives at the Abuja and Kano international airports arrested China-based businessman Ibeanu Vincent Chukwudulue and two Angolans, Mbandu Martins Makiadi and Ngoma Wilson Fernando. The intensified crackdown forced a “stomach-churning” discovery, as the trio eventually excreted 236 cocaine pellets they had ingested to evade detection.
In a major anti-narcotics breakthrough, the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has thwarted a smuggling attempt by a China-based Nigerian businessman. According to a statement released on Sunday, February 15, by Director of Media and Advocacy Femi Babafemi, 34-year-old Ibeanu Vincent Chukwudulue was intercepted at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, on February 4, 2026. Intelligence-led operatives deboarded Ibeanu from a Qatar Airways flight just before departure. Following a specialized body scan that confirmed the presence of foreign objects, the suspect excreted 52 cocaine wraps totaling 735.95 grams, effectively preventing the Class A substance from reaching international markets.
NDLEA spokesperson Femi Babafemi further revealed that Ibeanu, a 34-year-old businessman, confessed to operating on Lagos Island before relocating to Guangzhou, China, in 2024. In a separate strike at Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport (MAKIA) on February 4, 2026, operatives intercepted two Angolans—Mbandu Martins Makiadi (50) and Ngoma Wilson Fernando (52)—during outbound clearance for an Ethiopian Airlines flight to Istanbul.
Meanwhile, after testing positive for drug ingestion during body scans, the duo were placed under strict observation. The results were staggering: Mbandu excreted 76 wraps (920g) over seven rounds, while Ngoma expelled 108 pellets (1.33kg) in five excretions. Both suspects admitted they were recruited in Luanda by an auto parts dealer with a promise of $3,000 each upon delivery in Turkey.
However, in a revealing confession, the suspects—both natives of Hoji Ya Henda in Luanda, Angola—disclosed they were recruited by a Luanda-based automobile spare parts dealer. Driven by the lure of a $3,000 payout, the duo agreed to transport the illicit consignments to Turkey, a mission cut short by the eagle-eyed operatives of the NDLEA.
The agency’s spokesperson, Femi Babafemi, noted that the suspects were promised the payment only upon the successful delivery of the cocaine pellets in Istanbul. This failed venture highlights the desperate lengths to which international drug syndicates go to exploit individuals for cross-border trafficking.
In a daring breakthrough at Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), NDLEA operatives intercepted 1.10kg of cocaine concealed in processed cassava granules (Garri) destined for London via Virgin Atlantic. The mastermind behind the plot is Olashupo Michael Oladimeji, a convicted drug kingpin currently serving a five-year sentence at Ikoyi Correctional Centre.
Oladimeji was originally jailed in 2025 following his conviction for conspiring to export 17.90kg of cocaine (Charge No: FHC/L/925C/2025).
However, refusing to abandon his criminal enterprise, the CEO of Dimeji Express Logistics (located at 20 Omilade Street, Mafoluku) orchestrated this latest scheme from behind prison walls. The plot unraveled on Thursday, February 12, 2026, when eagle-eyed officers discovered the compressed cocaine blocks hidden inside a sack of Garri, expertly tucked within a shipping carton.
NDLEA operatives apprehended Adedeji Yusuf Gbolahan, a staff member of Dimeji Express Logistics, after he presented a suspicious consignment for export. Subsequent investigations uncovered that Olashupo Michael Oladimeji orchestrated the trafficking plot from prison, directing Yusuf to retrieve the cargo from a location in Oshodi.
In a related incident at the Lagos airport export shed, officials intercepted 1.70 kilograms of skunk hidden within five jerry cans destined for the UK. While the cargo agent, Mustapha Quddus Opeyemi, was arrested on-site, a follow-up operation led to the capture of the primary suspect, 44-year-old estate surveyor Adelaja Taiwo Adetayo, in the Ahmadiyya area on Monday, February 9th.
In a successful interdiction on Thursday, February 12, the NDLEA Intercepts Cannabis in Abuja”
through a waybill package from Enugu containing a children’s toy guitar. Upon inspection, the instrument was found to conceal two parcels of “Canadian Loud”—a potent cannabis strain—weighing 59.2 grams. A swift follow-up operation led to the arrest of the consignment’s owner, Henry Onuma, at Dream City Estate, Life Camp.
In another major crackdown on February 13, 2026, NDLEA officers raided a four-bedroom duplex at 2 Alexandria Terrace, Ikate-Elegushi, Lekki, which served as a production and storage hub for “Colorado,” a deadly synthetic cannabis. The operation was triggered by the interception of 73 cartons of nitrous oxide at Iyare Motor Park, Ajah–Epe Expressway, destined for Benin City. While the shipment’s driver, Amos Innocent, was apprehended at the park, operatives nabbed Victor Oyedeji at the Lekki laboratory, recovering 13.2 kilograms of freshly produced “Colos” alongside essential precursor chemicals.
The NDLEA’s latest strike in the Oyo State capital has led to the arrest of 45-year-old Oluwayemisi Bunmi at her Hope Alakia enclave. On Wednesday, Feb 11, operatives seized a diverse stash of illicit substances, including over 1kg of Colos and 320g of meth. The suspect was also found with nearly ₦3 million in cash and two Toyota Matrix cars, marked JJJ 629 FQ and LND 602 AQ, all of which are now in custody as evidence of her notorious trade.
Similarly, operational successes continued in Kwara and Edo states with significant seizures and arrests. In Kwara, NDLEA operatives intercepted 43-year-old Kamilu Abdullahi at Bode Saadu on Thursday, February 12, recovering 105,400 tramadol pills from his J5 vehicle (DTM-765XA). Simultaneously, a strategic raid in Edo State on Saturday, February 14, at Yoruba Camp in Olumoye Forest, led to the arrest of five suspects—Murtala Mohammed (37), Abdulkadir Idris Mohammed (29), Ufoma Edafe (40), Anthony Aghati (46), and Emmanuel Owalu Ekele (39)—and the recovery of 563.5 kilograms of skunk.
In line with its nationwide mandate, the NDLEA significantly expanded its War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) initiative over the past week, delivering high-impact sensitization programs across schools, workplaces, and religious centers. This grassroots advocacy reached diverse communities, with specialized enlightenment lectures held for students and faculty at Anglican Grammar School (Ogbomoso, Oyo), Government Day Secondary School (Yola, Adamawa), and Government Secondary School, Tudun Gwandara (Lafia, Nasarawa). Similar outreach efforts were successfully executed at Government Girls Technical and Commercial College (Charanchi, Katsina) and Ajumoni Senior Secondary School (Mushin, Lagos), reinforcing the Agency’s commitment to a drug-free Nigeria through proactive education.
The NDLEA Chairman, Brig. Gen. Mohammed Buba Marwa (Rtd), has hailed the tactical brilliance of officers across the MAKIA, MMIA, NAIA, Lagos, Edo, Kwara, FCT, and Oyo Commands following series of successful interdictions. Underscoring the agency’s dual mandate, Marwa charged the force to maintain its momentum by bridging aggressive enforcement with comprehensive public sensitization.
