NDLEA arrests Ugandan woman with 1.15kg Cocaine at Lagos airport

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested a 34-year-old Ugandan woman, Farida Nansubuga, for allegedly attempting to smuggle 1.15 kilogrammes of cocaine from Nigeria to Uganda.

Nansubuga was arrested on Tuesday, November 3, 2026, at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Ikeja, Lagos, while preparing to board a flight to her home country.

The agency said its operatives recovered 87 wraps of cocaine concealed around her pelvic region and strapped beneath two layers of underwear.

In a statement issued on Sunday by its Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, the NDLEA said the suspect arrived in Nigeria on October 29 with members of her church for a prayer session at the Synagogue Church of All Nations in the Ikotun-Egbe area of Lagos State.

According to the agency, the other members of her delegation returned to Uganda after the religious programme, but Nansubuga allegedly stayed behind to collect the cocaine on behalf of a friend identified as Joy, who resides in Uganda.

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Babafemi said the suspect was intercepted during a joint passenger screening operation involving NDLEA operatives and aviation security personnel at Terminal 2 of the airport.

The statement said preliminary investigations indicated that a contact in Nigeria arranged a vehicle to convey Nansubuga to a hotel on the morning of her scheduled departure, where an unidentified man allegedly handed her the drugs.

She reportedly told investigators that she was instructed to conceal the cocaine beneath her clothing to avoid detection during airport security checks.

“During preliminary interview, the suspect said she arrived in Nigeria on 29th October 2026 with members of her church for a prayer session at The Synagogue Church of All Nations, Ikotun Egbe area of Lagos. She claimed that after the prayer session, the other members of her delegation returned to Uganda while she stayed back to collect the illicit consignment on behalf of a friend, simply identified as Joy, who resides in Uganda,” Babafemi said.

The suspect reportedly disclosed that although no specific payment was agreed upon, she expected to receive at least $1,000 after successfully delivering the cocaine in Uganda.

Reacting to the arrest, NDLEA Chairman, Brig-Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd.), described the incident as another example of how drug trafficking networks exploit religious activities and international travel to recruit couriers.

Marwa commended the officers involved in the operation and urged personnel across the agency’s commands to sustain efforts to disrupt drug supply networks and reduce substance abuse.

“The case of the Ugandan woman is a sad reminder that drug cartels will stop at nothing, including exploiting faith and religious travel, to recruit couriers for their deadly trade,” he said.

He called on officers to maintain the momentum of the agency’s supply and demand reduction campaigns.

The arrest was among several drug-related operations and seizures recorded by the NDLEA across the country.