NDLEA intercepts businessman with 6.10kg cocaine stashed in shirts, towels from Brazil
…Detains 60-yr-old woman with disability in Abia, another PWD in Rivers for dealing in illicit drugs
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has disrupted multiple drug trafficking rings across Nigeria, arresting several suspects, including a Brazilian-based businessman and two individuals living with disabilities, and seizing thousands of kilograms of illicit substances.
In a statement on Sunday by The sweeping operations, which took place over the past week, targeted both international smuggling routes and local distribution networks.
On Thursday, June 11, 2026, NDLEA operatives at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) in Ikeja, Lagos, arrested 41-year-old Abugu Oliver Ikechukwu.
The Sao Paulo, Brazil-based businessman had just arrived via Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, aboard an Ethiopian Airways flight.
A thorough search of Ikechukwu’s luggage exposed a highly sophisticated concealment method: 14 towels and shirts heavily impregnated with 6.10 kilograms of liquid cocaine. The items had been soaked in the drug, dried, and professionally ironed to evade detection.
During interrogation, Ikechukwu claimed he had lived in Brazil for 14 years operating an African restaurant, and asserted he was visiting Nigeria only to see his wife and purchase bulk foodstuffs for his business.
The crackdown also highlighted the troubling involvement of individuals living with disabilities in the drug trade:
Abia State: On Wednesday, June 10, the Umuosu vigilante group in the Umuna Autonomous Community (Isialangwa North LGA) apprehended 60-year-old Chidimma Sunday with 1.8 kg of skunk (a potent strain of cannabis). She was subsequently handed over to the NDLEA.
Rivers State: On Tuesday, June 9, NDLEA officers raided Rumuokoro in Port Harcourt, arresting 28-year-old Abubakar Usman. He was found in possession of a cocktail of illicit substances, including 400 grams of skunk, 5 grams of methamphetamine, 100 grams of tramadol, 5 grams of swinol, and 18 grams of diazepam.
In Gombe State, operatives also dismantled a local distribution node in the Kasuwan Katako area, arresting two notorious dealers, Jamilu Idris (alias “Jama”), 40, and Aminu Abdullahi (alias “Momo”), 33, with three large blocks of skunk weighing 2.738 kg.
Alongside enforcement operations, the NDLEA intensified its grassroots War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) sensitization campaign.
Over the past week, the agency hosted drug-enlightenment lectures for students and staff at several institutions, including Government Science School (Nasarawa), Community Secondary School (Enugu), Araromi Junior Secondary School (Lagos), and St. Charles College (Anmabra). Advocacy teams also engaged traditional rulers, including leaders in Minjibir LGA (Kano) and His Royal Majesty, Eze Onyekachi Amaonwu, the Paramount Ruler of the Eberi Omuma kingdom in Rivers State.
He praised the strategic balance between aggressive drug supply reduction and preventative WADA community outreach, challenging officers nationwide to consistently surpass their current operational records.