NDLEA arrests businessman with cocaine, seizes N3.6bn drugs in Lagos

NDLEA arrests businessman with cocaine, seizes N3.6bn drugs in Lagos

48-year-old marble dealer who liquidated his business to fund N23 million cocaine deal was intercepted at Murtala Muhammed International Airport, while separate operations uncovered 377,600 bottles of codeine syrup and 324kg of synthetic cannabis

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested a 48-year-old Lagos businessman at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) while attempting to smuggle 1.550 kilograms of cocaine to New Delhi, India, in an operation that also yielded drug seizures valued at over N3.6 billion across multiple states. The suspect, identified as Nwankwo Innocent Onyebuchi, who operated a marble trading business in Lagos, was intercepted at the departure hall of Terminal II while preparing to board a Qatar Airways flight to India, according to a statement by the NDLEA Director of Media and Advocacy, Mr. Femi Babafemi. A search of his check-in luggage uncovered the cocaine ingeniously concealed within the factory-fitted side walls and railings of his travel bag—a sophisticated concealment method designed specifically to beat airport security screening.

In a confession described by investigators as revealing the desperation that fuels the illicit drug trade, Onyebuchi admitted that he had sold off his marble business and every asset he owned to raise the N23 million he paid for the cocaine consignment. He reportedly told NDLEA operatives that he intended to sell the narcotics in India for approximately N100 million, hoping to make a substantial fortune from the transaction. His arrest, however, abruptly ended the venture, and with his assets gone and his dream of transitioning from a legitimate marble trader to a drug kingpin effectively shattered, he remains in NDLEA custody pending prosecution and likely time in jail.

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The airport arrest came as the anti-narcotics agency intensified intelligence-driven operations across the country. In a separate operation, NDLEA operatives acting on credible intelligence raided a warehouse within a residential compound at 20 Hakeem Dosumu Street, Ago Palace area of Okota, Lagos. The raid, conducted between August 7 and 8, 2026, uncovered a massive stockpile of codeine-based syrup—a total of 3,776 cartons, comprising 377,600 bottles of the controlled substance, valued at over N2.6 billion. Codeine, a highly addictive opioid, is frequently abused in Nigeria and has been linked to widespread public health concerns, particularly among young people, and the seizure represents one of the largest single hauls of the substance in recent years.

Yet in another intelligence-led operation, NDLEA operatives on August 14 raided the residence of a 55-year-old kingpin, Shoremi Kayode, at 37 Ogundare Street, Ipaja Estate, Lagos. The raid resulted in the recovery of 324 kilograms of Colorado, a synthetic strain of cannabis, with an estimated street value of N972 million. Also recovered from the suspect were a Mercedes-Benz car and a Toyota Corolla car, believed to have been acquired through proceeds of the illicit drug trade. The arrest and seizure further demonstrate the NDLEA’s commitment to targeting high-value drug trafficking networks and their assets, sending a strong message that crime does not pay.

The NDLEA confirmed that the Lagos operations were part of coordinated enforcement actions across multiple states, including Kano, Kwara, Edo, Plateau, Oyo, and Delta states, resulting in the seizure of large quantities of cocaine, cannabis, opioids, and other controlled substances. The agency credited the successes to intelligence-driven operations and inter-agency collaboration, which have become the hallmark of the NDLEA’s approach under its current leadership. The War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) social advocacy activities by NDLEA commands also continued during the period under review, reflecting the agency’s dual approach of reducing both drug supply and drug demand.

The Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the NDLEA, retired Brig.-Gen. Buba Marwa, commended the officers, men, and women of the MMIA and Lagos commands for the arrests and seizures made during the period under review. Marwa also praised their counterparts across all commands for pursuing a fair balance between drug supply reduction and drug demand reduction efforts. He has previously described the war against illicit drugs as a “generational responsibility” requiring sustained commitment, noting that “for every cartel we dismantle, intelligence tells us another will attempt to rise.” The agency continues to call on members of the public to provide timely and credible information to support law enforcement efforts, emphasizing that community participation is essential in the fight against drug trafficking and abuse.