In continuation of its routine crackdown on drug peddlers and the eradication of illicit substances within Nigeria, operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have intercepted several high-profile ‘barons’ at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) and a Lagos courier firm. The arrests followed desperate attempts by Drug Trafficking Organisations (DTOs) to smuggle methamphetamine and opioids to Europe by concealing them within carton walls, winter jackets, and body cream containers. These foiled operations highlight the Agency’s unwavering commitment to dismantling syndicates and securing Nigeria’s borders against the drug…
Category: NDLEA
Nigeria Fines Vessel, 10 Sailors $6M Over Cocaine Bust as Marwa Declares Waters ‘No Longer a Haven’ for Cartels
A Federal High Court in Lagos has convicted 10 Filipino sailors and their merchant vessel, the MV Nord Bosporus, for the unlawful importation of 20 kilograms of cocaine into Nigeria. In a statement released Wednesday, March 18, NDLEA Director of Media and Advocacy Femi Babafemi announced a swift legal victory: the conviction of a vessel and its crew just four months after their arrest. It could be recalled that the vessel was intercepted by the NDLEA at the Apapa Seaport on November 16, 2025, following its arrival from Santos, Brazil.…
NDLEA Arrests UK-Bound Septuagenarian with 11kg Cocaine in Balloons; Seizes 340,000 Codeine Bottles in Massive Lagos Raids
In a significant blow to international drug trafficking, NDLEA operatives at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport (NAIA) have arrested 74-year-old Ikwuakalom Nwakoro Emeka. The septuagenarian was apprehended after a massive consignment of cocaine, concealed within foil and balloons, was discovered stashed in his luggage during a UK-bound flight screening. In a statement released on Sunday, March 15, NDLEA Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, confirmed the arrest of a 74-year-old septuagenarian, Ikwuakalom Nwakoro Emeka, at the Abuja airport. The suspect, who claimed to be traveling to London for a…
From Diapers to Explosives: NDLEA Nabs Ex-Lagos Council Chief, Intercepts 500 IEDs and Cameroonian Drug Suspect
In a relentless drive to rid the nation of illicit drugs, the NDLEA has arrested Sheleru Sadiq Olalekan, a former two-term Ibeju-Lekki councillor. Acting on credible intelligence linking him to a narcotics ring, operatives apprehended the ex-official as part of a wider crackdown on high-profile trafficking. NDLEA spokesperson Femi Babafemi announced on Sunday, March 8, the arrest of a 45-year-old former local council chief currently serving as a legislative aide. Operatives apprehended the suspect on Monday, March 2, at his Ilado residence in Ibeju-Lekki, where a search uncovered 40 kilograms…
Marwa: Capture of 15-Year Fugitive Wanted in UK Marks Significant Hit on Drug Cartels
The 15-year manhunt for notorious drug kingpin Uzoma Valentine Ilomuanya has finally come to an end. In a well-coordinated strike on February 23, 2026, NDLEA’s Special Operations Unit tracked down the 58-year-old fugitive in Lagos, dealing a significant blow to global narcotics syndicates. NDLEA’s Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, confirmed on Wednesday, March 4, that the agency has finally nabbed long-standing fugitive Uzoma Valentine Ilomuanya. For over 15 years, Ilomuanya eluded both the NDLEA and British authorities, engaging in a high-stakes cat-and-mouse game that spanned continents. The Agency…
End of the Road: NDLEA Nets 13-Year wanted Fugitive, Dismantles Imo Meth Lab, recovers 18.4kg methamphetamine, Intercepts Foreign Trafficker in Massive Drug Bust
The NDLEA has succeeded in arresting a long-sought fugitive after 13 years in hiding, marking another victory in its relentless effort to disrupt drug logistics. The kingpin, Reginald Peter Chidiebere, was taken into custody at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) after NDLEA operatives linked him to the seizure of major cocaine and heroin shipments in Ikeja, Lagos. In a statement released by Director of Media and Advocacy Femi Babafemi, the NDLEA confirmed that the notorious drug lord has finally been cornered.Although he was initially arrested in 2013 and arraigned…
Marwa: NDCMP 2026-2030 to Strengthen Nigeria’s Drug Control Measures
Brig. Gen. Mohammed Buba Marwa (Rtd), the NDLEA boss, has said that the new National Drug Control Master Plan (NDCMP 2026-2030) will strengthen Nigeria’s ongoing drug control efforts. In a statement released on Thursday, February 26, NDLEA Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, noted that Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd) stated this at the Agency’s national headquarters in Abuja. While receiving the final summative evaluation report on the NDCMP 2021-2025, Marwa said that with the holistic efforts being put into the next master plan, its implementation will have…
NDLEA Smash: Fake Pregnancy, 82 Cocaine Pellets, a Real Estate Mogul’s Cartel Exposed.
……… Agency Intercepts traffickers at Kano Airport, Seme border; arrests* 68-year-old grandma and CEO in nationwide raids. The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has dismantled a series of bizarre trafficking plots across Nigeria. Operatives intercepted a woman at the Seme border using a carved calabash as a “fake baby bump” to hide 3,200 tramadol capsules, while an Ivorian at Kano Airport excreted 82 wraps of cocaine. In a wider nationwide sweep, the agency arrested the CEO of a real estate firm in Lekki and a 68-year-old grandmother, alongside others,…
NDLEA Smashes Transnational Syndicate: 236 Cocaine Wraps Excreted by China-Bound Trio; Prison-Run Plot Foiled and Lekki ‘Colos’ Lab Dismantled
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…
NDLEA Chief Marwa Bolsters Global Front Against Drug Cartels at US-DEA Graduation
Reaffirming Nigeria’s lead in the global war on Narcotics, the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) Chairman Brig. Gen. Mohammed Buba Marwa (Rtd) pledged unwavering cooperation with international partners during the graduation of elite officers from the US-DEA Training Academy in Quantico, Virginia, on Friday, February 13. In a statement released on Friday, February 13, by NDLEA Director of Media and Advocacy Femi Babafemi, said the Chairman of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd) called for a “reinforced global offensive” against transnational crime. Speaking at the graduation of NDLEA…