NDLEA arrests 74-year-old man at Abuja Airport with 11kg cocaine

Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have arrested a 74-year-old man, Ikwuakalom Nwakoro Emeka, at the departure hall of Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, after discovering 11 kilograms of cocaine concealed in his luggage as he attempted to travel to the United Kingdom.

According to a statement issued on Sunday by NDLEA’s Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, the septuagenarian was intercepted on Saturday, March 14, 2026, while preparing to board British Airways flight BA082 bound for Heathrow Airport.

He reportedly told officers he was travelling to London for a vacation.

A thorough search of his baggage uncovered blocks of cocaine hidden inside food items, including ground dry pepper.

The illicit substances were carefully wrapped in foil papers and balloons in an apparent attempt to evade airport screening.

In a related operation in Lagos, NDLEA officers acting on intelligence arrested Mrs. Maryam Olalowo at Ikad Hotel and Suites on Victoria Island in the early hours of Monday, March 9. She was allegedly attempting to sell 89 grams of cocaine and 20 grams of “Canadian Loud,” a potent strain of cannabis.

The suspect was found with her three children, including an infant. During interrogation, she claimed the drugs belonged to her husband, Ibrahim Olalowo Olatunji, who was subsequently arrested the same day.

Investigations revealed that he had previously been convicted for a similar drug offence in 2015 and served a two-and-a-half-year prison sentence. Mrs. Olalowo was released after her husband admitted ownership of the drugs.

NDLEA operatives also apprehended two suspects — Kalilou Simpara and Saidu Ibrahim — at Ebetu Ero on Lagos Island after recovering 68,000 tablets of tramadol in different strengths. The suspects had allegedly loaded the drugs into a truck for onward transportation to the Benin Republic.

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A follow-up operation at Idumota Market on March 11 led to the arrest of the alleged owner of the consignment, Nnamdi Cyprian. Officers recovered an additional parcel containing 1,000 tramadol tablets prepared for dispatch. Another raid at the same market on March 13 resulted in the arrest of Nwanosike Kelvin, from whose shop 47,500 ampoules of pentazocine injection were seized.

Meanwhile, a joint inspection involving NDLEA, Customs, and other security agencies at Apapa Seaport led to the interception of no fewer than 339,800 bottles of codeine-based cough syrup concealed in two shipping containers. The containers had been placed under surveillance following intelligence reports indicating opioid smuggling.

The agency also reported ongoing nationwide sensitisation under its War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) initiative. Outreach activities were conducted in schools across Nasarawa, Oyo, Delta, Cross River, and Edo states. Additionally, the NDLEA Zone 11 Command paid an advocacy visit to Francis Ogbonna Nwifuru as part of efforts to strengthen state-level collaboration.

Chairman and Chief Executive of NDLEA, Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), praised officers across the Abuja, Lagos, Kano, Edo, and FCT commands for the week’s successes. He also commended personnel nationwide for maintaining a balance between disrupting drug supply chains and reducing demand through public education.

The series of arrests and seizures underscores the agency’s intensified crackdown on narcotics trafficking networks operating through airports, seaports, forests, and urban distribution hubs across Nigeria.