A 38-year-oldMilan-bound businessman, Philip Tunde, has been caught by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) with 4.80 kilograms of cocaine concealed in the soles of shoes and the railings of travel bags at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Ikeja Lagos.
Penpushing reports that Director, Media and Advocacy of the agency, Femi Babafemi made this known in a statement explaining that the suspect was arrested on Sunday September 27,2026 at the joint screening point, Terminal 2 of the Lagos airport ahead of his Royal Air Maroc flight to Milan, Italy.
The statment explained that a thorough search by the agency operatives led to the recovery of 16 parcels of white powdery substance hidden in the soles of eight pairs of trainers and canvas shoes, plus 195 wraps of same substance concealed in the railings of four travelling bags.
Penpushing further reports that Babafemi said the substances tested positive for cocaine, with a combined weight of 4.80kg, adding that during interview, the suspect claimed he paid N16 million in cash for the cocaine in the shoes, while the consignment in the bags was meant for delivery to his partner in Italy.
The agency spokesperson stated that te suspect claimed that he raised the money from compensation paid him for an injury at a plastic manufacturing company in Italy, in which he lost the tips of two fingers.
Penpushing also reports that in a related development operatives of the agency at the Apapa, Tincan Island and Onne seaports have intercepted container consignments of Loud, a strong strain of cannabis and codeine-based syrup worth over N5 billion, following months of intelligence and tracking the movement of the shipments from their ports of origin.
The statement said at the Apapa port in Lagos, officers acting on intelligence, subjected two containers from Bangkok, Thailand, to 100 per cent examination with men of Customs and other stakeholders, adding that a search of one of the containers on Saturday September 3, 2026 yielded 161 parcels of Thai Loud weighing 124kg, worth N372,000,000, concealed in two refrigerators and two cartons.
Penpushing reports that Babafemi said at the Onne port in Rivers state, two containers watch-listed by the agency based on processed intelligence were subjected to joint examination with Customs and other security agencies, during which 40 packs of Loud weighing 22kg were found hidden in a travelling bag and three of five vehicles (Toyota Matrix, Toyota Corolla and Hyundai Elantra) shipped in one of the containers.
The statement stated that the second container held 109,600 bottles of codeine-based cough syrup weighing 16,440kg. The container had left India to Saudi Arabia where the history of its origin was deleted, to avoid being targeted. The codeine and Loud consignments have a combined street value of N833,200,000.
Penpushing further reports that Babafemi said at the Tincan Island port in Lagos, operatives on Tuesday September 29, 2026 conducted a joint examination of a watch-listed container from Montreal, Canada with Customs and other stakeholders.
The agency image maker explained that as a result, a total of 2,595 parcels of Canadian Loud weighing 1,297.5kg, concealed in a Toyota Sienna and a Hyundai Elantra, with 24 blue drums and six jumbo bags in the container were recovered, adding that the consignment was worth over N3.8 billion in street value.
Penpushing also reports that he said a total of 20,234 kilograms of skunk were destroyed on 8.0936 hectares of cannabis farm in Area 4, Ife South Local Government Area of Osun State on Wednesday September 30, 2026 by the agency operatives, while a 41-year-old suspect Agbo Dennis, was arrested on Tuesday September 29, 2026 at the West of Mines area of Jos North, Plateau State, following the seizure of 33 bags of skunk weighing 385kg.
The agency in the statement disclosed that in Lagos, operatives on Monday September 28, 2026 raided an unoccupied compound at Divine Estate, Ago Palace, where they recovered 209,000 tablets of tramadol, while a 23-year-old Ekundayo Taiwo, was nabbed on Wednesday September 30, 2026 in a follow-up operation at Ladipo Spare Parts Market following the seizure of 61 grams of Colorado, a synthetic strain of cannabis and 24 grams of methamphetamine hidden in a bottle of an energy drink as a waybill package from a commercial bus driver along the Lagos-Ibadan expressway the previous day.
Penpushing reports that it added that in Kogi state, officers on patrol along the Okene-Lokoja highway on Wednesday September 30, 2026 intercepted a Lagos-Abuja commuter bus and found a waybill concealing two sachets of methamphetamine weighing 1kg, adding that in a follow-up operation, the owner of the consignment, Michael Chukwuememka Uzoma, 29, was arrested at Utako, Abuja.
The statemnet stated that residence of a suspect, Saturday Omimi, 35, was raided at Uyere community, Ovia North-East LGA, Edo state on Friday October 2, 2026 where operatives recovered 32.2kg of cannabis sativa, adding that same day, Osazuwa Iyabor Michael, 23, was arrested at Auchi Bypass, Benin City, with 59 grams of Loud, 12 grams of Colorado, 19 grams of Tramadol, 16 grams of methamphetamine, 4 grams of Swinol and 4 grams of Molly.
Penpushing further reports that the agency said in anoher development, six years after jumping bail, 47-year-old fugitive Idris Mohammed Kurra was arrested by operatives on Tuesday September 29, 2026, recalling that he(Idris) was facing trial at the Federal High Court, Jos, Plateau state in connection with the possession and dealing in 198 kilograms of skunk, however jumped bail granted him by the court since December 2020 and evaded arrest since then.
The statement said with the same vigour, commands and formations of the agency across the country continued their War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) sensitization activities to schools, worship centres, work places and communities among others in the past week.
Penpushing also reports that these include: War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) enlightenment lecture to students and staff of St. Paul’s Secondary School, Oji, Enugu; Olu-Odo Primary School, Igbogbo, Ikorodu, Lagos; Government Junior Secondary School, Tsamiya, Kano; Christ’s School, Ado Ekiti; and Government Science Secondary School, Lokoja, Kogi state, among others.
The statement stated that Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of National Drug Law Enforcement Agency(NDLEA), Brigadier-General Mohamed Buba Marwa (rtd) while commending the officers and men of Murtal Muhammed International Airport(MMIA), Apapa, Tincan, PHPC, Lagos, Edo, Bauchi, Plateau and Osun Commands for their professionalism and intelligence-driven approach to the various successful operations, urged them and their colleagues across the country to sustain the onslaught against drug trafficking networks, while continuing with the current balanced approach to the drug control efforts of the agency.
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