How NDLEA uncovered 25kg Meth hidden in breakfast cereal at Lagos airport

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has intercepted 25.05kg of methamphetamine concealed in imported breakfast cereal packs and arrested a 56-year-old Nigerian suspected of trafficking the substance from South Africa.

In a separate operation at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, the agency arrested an American professional basketball player over the alleged importation of 33.95kg of Loud, a potent strain of cannabis, from Thailand.

The NDLEA disclosed the arrests in a statement on Sunday by its Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi.

The Nigerian suspect, identified as Omokan Isaac Babatope, whose actual name is Chinedu Onwude, was arrested on Wednesday, November 11, at Terminal II of the Lagos airport after arriving from South Africa.

A search of his two travelling bags reportedly uncovered 25 parcels of a white crystalline substance weighing 25.05kg, concealed inside assorted breakfast cereals and cereal-based food products.

Preliminary tests confirmed the substance as methamphetamine.

The agency said the suspect, who holds Nigerian and South African passports, admitted living in South Africa for more than 24 years and using a different identity after allegedly entering the country with forged documents.

He reportedly told investigators that a South Africa-based individual, identified as Obiora Okoye, contracted him to deliver the drugs in Nigeria for R20,000.

In the second airport operation, NDLEA operatives arrested 28-year-old American citizen Greene Da’monte Khiree, who arrived in Lagos aboard an Emirates flight from Thailand through Dubai.

According to the agency, the suspect allegedly abandoned two checked-in bags bearing his name tags and attempted to leave the airport with only his hand luggage.

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He was subsequently arrested at the airport car park after operatives placed him under surveillance.

A search of the abandoned luggage led to the recovery of 32 parcels of Loud weighing 33.95kg. A tracking device was also reportedly found inside the bags.

The suspect, a native of Savannah, Georgia, reportedly told investigators that he had lived in Thailand since October 2025, where he plays professional basketball. He claimed he travelled to Nigeria on holiday to establish networks for his basketball career.

However, forensic examination of his mobile phone allegedly revealed information linking him to the drug trafficking operation.

Beyond the airport interceptions, the NDLEA announced several operations across Lagos, Kaduna, Ondo, Delta, Edo and Osun states, resulting in the recovery of large quantities of illicit substances and the arrest of multiple suspects.

In Kaduna, operatives uncovered a suspected illegal firearms manufacturing facility at Sabon Garin Kangin and arrested 45-year-old Sagiru Musa.

Items recovered included 17 locally manufactured Dane guns, two pistols, 25 gun pipes and materials allegedly used in producing firearms.

In another operation along the Abuja-Kaduna Expressway, a 31-year-old woman, Tabara Dauda, was arrested with 196 rounds of AK-47 ammunition and N675,000.

In Ondo State, operatives recovered 560kg of cannabis from a storage facility linked to two suspects in Olabi village, while another operation at Ipele forest resulted in the seizure of 122kg.

Delta State operatives also arrested a woman, Esther Igba, with 255.67kg of cannabis and 1.5kg of cannabis seeds.

In Lagos, seizures included 119.71kg of cannabis at Ebute Metta and various illicit substances recovered from an abandoned Toyota Sienna in Ajah.

Meanwhile, operations in Osun and Edo states resulted in additional cannabis seizures, including 14kg of Loud, 73g of methamphetamine and 65g of Colorado recovered during a raid in Benin City.

Commending officers involved in the operations, NDLEA Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd.), said the interception of methamphetamine hidden in breakfast cereal packaging demonstrated the agency’s vigilance against increasingly sophisticated drug trafficking methods.

He also described the discovery of the suspected firearms factory as significant, noting the connection between illicit drug trafficking and violent criminal activities.

Marwa urged officers to sustain efforts to disrupt drug supply networks and strengthen public awareness campaigns against substance abuse.