The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested a boutique owner, Godwin Emeka, at Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport in Kano after he allegedly excreted 127 wraps of cocaine.
NDLEA spokesperson Femi Babafemi confirmed the arrest in a statement issued on Sunday. According to him, the 52-year-old businessman—who owns boutiques in Lagos and Anambra—was apprehended on Wednesday upon arrival from Bangkok, Thailand, via Ethiopian Airlines flight ET 941.
A full-body scan reportedly revealed that Emeka had ingested substances suspected to be cocaine. “A total of 58 wraps were immediately recovered from his pants before he was placed under observation, during which he excreted another 69 wraps,” Babafemi said. “Altogether, 127 wraps weighing 1.388 kilograms were recovered.”
In the same statement, Babafemi revealed that NDLEA operatives intercepted three separate shipments of illicit drugs at a warehouse in Lagos. One of the consignments—containing 1.74 kilograms of methamphetamine—was concealed in glass ceramics. Others included tramadol and pentazocine injections hidden in vitamin C containers. All shipments were reportedly en route to the United Kingdom.
Further attempts to export drugs through deceptive packaging were also thwarted. NDLEA officers intercepted black soap tablets filled with drugs bound for Turkey, cocaine concealed in ladies’ handbags headed to Australia, and cannabis disguised in herbal containers meant for the United Arab Emirates.
At the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos, operatives seized 27,510 pills of Rohypnol hidden inside sachets of alcoholic beverages destined for South Africa. Three individuals, including a freight agent and a cab driver, were arrested in connection with the case.
In a separate operation, Italy-based businessman Enehizena Uyimwen was apprehended while attempting to export 3,700 pills of tramadol and 2,600 tablets of tapentadol concealed in food items. He allegedly confessed that he was trafficking the drugs on behalf of another person in exchange for €945.
The agency also carried out enforcement operations across several states. In Edo, a raid led to the seizure of 47 kilograms of cannabis (skunk) from a suspect’s residence, while in Osun, over 700 kilograms were recovered. Additional arrests and seizures were reported in Rivers, Katsina, Niger, Ondo, and Kaduna, where hundreds of thousands of tramadol and Exol-5 pills were confiscated.
NDLEA Chairman, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd.), commended the operatives for their diligence and professionalism. He urged them to remain resolute in the ongoing fight against drug trafficking and abuse across the country.
