Cocaine in their bellies: NDLEA arrests two Nigerians bound for Paris [VIDEO]

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested two Europe-based Nigerian businessmen allegedly attempting to smuggle 3.46 kilogrammes of cocaine to France after ingesting 200 wraps of the illicit substance.

The suspects, Aliocus Godian Odife and Sam Blackborn, were apprehended on Wednesday, October 28, 2026, during the outward clearance of Air France flight AF 832 from the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport (NAIA), Abuja, to Paris.

The agency said the arrests formed part of a series of nationwide operations that resulted in the seizure of tonnes of cannabis, thousands of tramadol and other pharmaceutical drugs, as well as hundreds of rounds of live ammunition.

According to the NDLEA, Odife, who claimed to reside in France and work in a factory, arrived in Nigeria on October 21 for a short holiday but was arrested while attempting to return to France.

A body scan conducted by operatives revealed foreign objects in his stomach, prompting further investigation.

During interrogation, he reportedly admitted to ingesting 110 pellets of cocaine, which he subsequently excreted under observation.

His co-traveller, Blackborn, was also intercepted at the airport’s departure hall after a body scan confirmed the ingestion of illicit substances.

He reportedly confessed to swallowing 90 pellets of cocaine and subsequently excreted all the wraps under observation.

In Lagos, operatives acting on intelligence about the movement of skunk, a potent strain of cannabis, from the Island to the Mainland intercepted a white Volkswagen LT 28 bus along Kudirat Abiola Way, Ikeja, on Sunday, October 25.

On the same day, another team intercepted a brown J5 bus along the Gbagada-Oshodi Expressway, recovering an additional 439 kilogrammes of cannabis.

The two seizures brought the total quantity of cannabis recovered in the operations to 976 kilogrammes.

Two arrested with 554kg cannabis in Oyo

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In Oyo State, NDLEA operatives on Thursday, October 29, arrested two suspects, Oguntona Nasiru, 46, and Soji Balogun, 47, while allegedly loading 554 kilogrammes of skunk into a Volvo truck along Idere Road, Igboora, for distribution.

The operation targeted a suspected drug dealer identified as Omo Oba, who reportedly escaped arrest on October 25 when operatives seized 309.5 kilogrammes of Ghanaian Loud, a strong strain of cannabis allegedly linked to him.

Kano raids yield over 400,000 drug tablets

In Kano State, operatives raided a location in the Tsamiya area of Gezawa on Monday, October 26, recovering 247,500 tablets of diazepam weighing 57.7 kilogrammes and 100,000 tablets of Exol-5 weighing 38.7 kilogrammes.

Two days later, on Wednesday, October 28, officers stormed the Dorayi area, where they arrested Ziya’ulhaq Abdullahi, 35, and Garba Muhammed, 52.

The suspects were allegedly found with 19,250 tablets of tramadol 225mg weighing 13.6 kilogrammes.

In another operation at Tashan Banke, NDLEA operatives arrested seven suspects, including Faisal Adamu, and recovered 178.85 kilogrammes of cannabis alongside quantities of diazepam, tramadol, Exol-5 and pregabalin.

Along the Abuja-Kaduna Expressway, NDLEA operatives on patrol arrested a woman, Aisha Isah, at a toll gate with 266 rounds of live AK-47 ammunition.

On the Zaria-Kano Expressway, a 68-year-old man, Ifeanyi Egwolonwu, was arrested at Gwargwaje, Zaria, with 2,770 ampoules of pentazocine injection, 100 ampoules of diazepam injection, 11,000 tablets of diazepam and 4,500 tablets of Exol-5.

Cannabis farms destroyed in Ondo, Edo

In Ondo State, operatives acting on intelligence raided cannabis farms in Ijare Forest on Sunday, October 25, arresting four suspects, including Bassey Okon, 24; Abraham Edet, 20; and Oto Udo, 24

The operation led to the recovery of 16 bags of processed cannabis weighing 180 kilogrammes.

In Edo State, NDLEA operatives, supported by soldiers, raided Eko Camp in Ilushi, Esan South-East Local Government Area, on Wednesday, October 28.

The operation resulted in the destruction of a cannabis plantation measuring 1.646 hectares, with an estimated yield of 4,115.53 kilogrammes.

A 50-year-old woman, Christiana Uboi, was arrested at the camp with 301 kilogrammes of processed cannabis, while another 176 kilogrammes of the substance was recovered during the operation

68-year-old arrested with 236.6kg cannabis in Sokoto

In Sokoto State, operatives of the NDLEA Zone 7 Command, acting on intelligence, arrested a 68-year-old man, Ibrahim Ayuba, on Saturday, October 31.

The suspect was allegedly found in possession of 236.6 kilogrammes of skunk.

Beyond enforcement operations, the agency said its commands and formations nationwide sustained sensitisation activities under its War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) campaign in schools, worship centres, workplaces and communities.

Recent awareness programmes were conducted at Obawole Grammar School II, Ojodu, Lagos; Nsukka High School, Nsukka, Enugu State; Government Technical College, Dorayi Babba Rijiyar Zaki, Gwale Local Government Area, Kano State; and Ajagbe Comprehensive High School, Iperu, Ogun State, among other institutions.

Commending officers and personnel of the NAIA, Lagos, Kano, Kaduna, Sokoto, Ondo, Oyo and Edo Commands for the arrests and seizures, NDLEA Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), described the interception of the two cocaine couriers at Abuja airport as a warning to international drug traffickers.

Marwa said the arrests demonstrated that Nigerians residing abroad would not be able to use their foreign connections or residence as cover to traffic illicit substances through the country’s borders.

He warned that operatives at all entry and exit points remained vigilant, stressing that there would be no hiding place for anyone willing to risk their lives and freedom by ingesting illicit drugs for financial rewards.

The NDLEA chief also directed officers and men across the country to sustain the momentum against drug cartels while intensifying drug demand reduction initiatives, particularly sensitisation programmes in schools, religious institutions, workplaces and communities

The statement was signed by Femi Babafemi, Director of Media and Advocacy, NDLEA Headquarters, Abuja, on Sunday, November 1, 2026.