The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested a 42-year-old Angolan businessman, Mbala Dajou Abuba, at Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport (MAKIA) in Kano for attempting to smuggle a substantial quantity of cocaine to Istanbul, Turkey.
According to NDLEA spokesperson Femi Babafemi, Abuba, a native of Zaire province in Angola, was apprehended on Tuesday, February 25, 2025, while undergoing security screening before boarding Egypt Air flight MS 880 en route to Istanbul via Cairo.
A body scan confirmed that he had ingested illicit substances, leading to his placement under observation. Over seven excretions, he expelled 120 pellets of cocaine weighing 1.829 kilograms.
In his confession, Abuba admitted to previously operating a township delivery service in Angola before venturing into drug trafficking.
Meanwhile, in a separate operation, NDLEA operatives intercepted Okeke Ebuka Igwe, an auto spare parts dealer, attempting to smuggle 1.10kg of cocaine hidden in vehicle propellers to Angola via the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos. Acting on intelligence, officers arrested him on Monday, February 24.
Similarly, a large consignment of 5.40kg of cocaine bound for Owerri, Imo State, was intercepted in a Toyota Sienna on Sunday, February 23. The suspect, Ezechi Iyke Cyprian, was arrested after weeks of surveillance.
At the Tincan seaport in Lagos, NDLEA operatives uncovered 128 parcels of Canadian Loud, a potent cannabis strain, hidden in two mattresses inside a Toyota Venza imported from Canada. The 63.75kg consignment was discovered during a joint inspection of a targeted container from Montreal. The consignee, 44-year-old Bamidele Joseph, was taken into custody.
Nationwide Drug Crackdown
In Delta State, NDLEA operatives, backed by the military, raided a forest plantation in the Innam-Abbi/Orogun community, Ndokwa West LGA, destroying over 50,000kg of cannabis cultivated on 20 hectares. Five suspects were arrested during the operation.
In another Delta operation, a Mercedes-Benz truck carrying 101 bags of skunk, weighing 1,111kg, was intercepted along the Abraka-Orogun road on Friday, February 28.
Elsewhere, NDLEA officers in Edo State raided a warehouse in Okpuje, Owan West LGA, where over 100 jumbo bags of skunk were seized. Two suspects, Oikelomen Osere Monday, 38, and Glory Iroyo, 42, were arrested.
Additional arrests included:
Ibadan, Oyo State: Michael Omoloki, 46, caught with 58.5kg of skunk.
Ilorin, Kwara State: Lawali Mohammed, a Beninese national, arrested with 2,980 tramadol tablets.
Osun State: Sunday Ogbu, 45, detained with 1.05kg of skunk concealed in detergent and biscuit cartons.
Zamfara State: Ayuba Mustapha, 30, caught with 24,700 tramadol pills.
Borno State: Mustapha Shettima, 50, arrested with 31kg of skunk, 1,000 tramadol pills, and N720,000 in cash.
Kano State: Adamu Idris, 40, nabbed with 140 blocks of cannabis weighing 73.5kg.
NDLEA also intensified its War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) campaign, conducting sensitization programs in schools, religious centers, workplaces, and communities across the country.
NDLEA Chairman, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), praised the agency’s operatives for their relentless efforts in combating drug trafficking and ensuring a balanced approach to supply and demand reduction.
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