By Danjuma Amodu | March 14, 2026
A 74-year-old man, Ikwuakalom Nwakoro Emeka, was arrested at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport (NAIA) Abuja for attempting to smuggle 11kg of cocaine to London. The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) intercepted the septuagenarian as he tried to board a British Airways flight to Heathrow on Saturday, March 15, 2026.
According to the Agency’s Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, the cocaine was concealed in food items, including ground dry pepper, wrapped in foil papers and balloons in Emeka’s luggage.
In a separate operation, NDLEA arrested a woman, Maryam Olalowo, at a Lagos hotel with 89g of cocaine and 20g of cannabis. Her husband, Ibrahim Olalowo Olatunji, was later arrested and confessed to owning the drugs. He had previously been convicted and sentenced to 2.5 years imprisonment for a similar offence in 2015.
The NDLEA also arrested two suspects, Kalilou Simpara and Saidu Ibrahim, with 68,000 pills of tramadol and another suspect, Nnamdi Cyprian, with 1,000 tablets of tramadol. In a separate raid, Nwanosike Kelvin was arrested with 47,500 ampoules of pentazocine injection.
In other operations, Magaji Dan Azumi was arrested with 386kg of skunk and Isah Wako with 282.2kg of skunk. In Edo state, Chinedo Odalonu was apprehended with 4,218.96kg of skunk, and 16.5kg of the substance was recovered.
The NDLEA also intercepted 339,800 bottles of codeine-based syrup at the Apapa seaport in Lagos.
The Agency’s Chairman, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa commended the officers and men involved in the operations and emphasized the importance of balancing drug supply reduction with demand reduction efforts.
The NDLEA continues to conduct War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) sensitization lectures and advocacy visits across the country, including recent visits to schools and government officials in Nasarawa, Oyo, Delta, Cross River, and Ebonyi states, such as ERCC Secondary School, Duguru, Nasarawa; Awoyemi Commercial High School, Okeho, Oyo; Ogunu Primary School, Ogunu, Delta; Seven Angels University Secondary School, Ikot Enobong, Cross River; and Edo National College, Iguobazuwa, Edo state. The Zone 11 Command also paid a WADA advocacy visit to Governor Francis Ogbonna Nwifuru of Ebonyi state.
