Former okada rider excretes 100 wraps of methamphetamine after arrest at Lagos airport

Former okada rider excretes 100 wraps of methamphetamine after arrest at Lagos airport

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested a former commercial motorcyclist, popularly known as an okada rider, after he allegedly excreted 100 wraps of methamphetamine he swallowed in Uganda in an attempt to smuggle the illicit drug into Nigeria.

The arrest, described by the anti-narcotics agency as another breakthrough in its fight against transnational drug trafficking, was disclosed in a statement issued on Sunday by the NDLEA’s Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, and shared on the agency’s official X account.

According to the agency, the suspect had worked as an okada rider in Lagos for about 15 years before allegedly joining an international drug trafficking syndicate in search of better financial opportunities.

The NDLEA said intelligence gathered by its operatives led to the suspect’s interception shortly after he arrived at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Ikeja, on a commercial flight from Uganda.

Preliminary investigations revealed that the suspect allegedly ingested 100 wraps of methamphetamine before boarding the flight to Nigeria, hoping to evade airport security and anti-drug screening procedures.

Following his arrest, the suspect was placed under medical observation by NDLEA officers, where he reportedly excreted all 100 wraps of the suspected illicit substance over a monitored period. The agency said the recovered exhibits have been secured while forensic examination and further investigations continue.

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Investigators believe the suspect was working for a transnational drug trafficking network operating across East and West Africa. The NDLEA said efforts are ongoing to identify and apprehend other members of the criminal syndicate, including those who recruited him and those expected to receive the drug consignment in Nigeria.

Reacting to the incident, the NDLEA said the suspect’s attempt to improve his financial status through drug trafficking ended in failure.

In a post on its official X account, the agency stated:

“After 15 years of working as an okada rider in Lagos, this individual decides he needed to forcefully upgrade and change his social status by joining a transnational drug trafficking organisation.”

“That dream has not only crumbled now but is ending in premium tears following his arrest at the Lagos airport by NDLEA officers after excreting a whopping 100 wraps of methamphetamine he ingested in far away Uganda.”

The anti-narcotics agency also released a video showing aspects of the arrest and recovery process, describing the operation as evidence of its sustained intelligence-led strategy against international drug trafficking.

The latest arrest comes amid intensified surveillance by the NDLEA at Nigeria’s airports, seaports and land borders as the agency continues to dismantle drug trafficking syndicates using the country as a transit route or destination for illicit narcotics.

The agency has repeatedly warned Nigerians against participating in drug trafficking, noting that criminal organisations often lure unsuspecting individuals with promises of quick financial gains, only for them to face arrest, prosecution and possible imprisonment.

Security experts say the use of human couriers who swallow illicit drugs remains one of the most dangerous methods employed by international drug traffickers because of the significant health risks involved, including poisoning, internal injury and death if the drug packages rupture inside the body.

The suspect is expected to be charged in court after investigations are concluded in accordance with the provisions of the NDLEA Act and other applicable laws governing drug-related offences in Nigeria.

Former okada rider excretes 100 wraps of methamphetamine after arrest at Lagos airport