NDLEA nabs drug lord with 127 cocaine wraps, foils multiple drug shipments abroad

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested a 52-year-old businessman, Ejiofor Godwin Emeka, at the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport (MAKIA) for attempting to smuggle 127 wraps of cocaine concealed in his body.

According to NDLEA spokesperson Femi Babafemi, Emeka, who operates boutiques in Lagos and Onitsha, was intercepted on October 8, 2025, upon arrival from Bangkok, Thailand, via Ethiopian Airlines flight ET 941.

A body scan confirmed he ingested illicit drugs and had some hidden in his private part.

Officers recovered 58 wraps of cocaine from his underwear, while another 69 pellets were egested under medical observation, bringing the total to 1.388 kilograms.

In related operations, NDLEA operatives intercepted several international drug trafficking attempts through courier companies in Lagos between October 9 and 10.

Methamphetamine, pentazocine, tramadol, skunk, tapentadol, cocaine, and cannabis were concealed in glass ceramics, vitamin containers, black soap tablets, ladies’ handbags, and herbal packages bound for the UK, Turkey, Australia, and the UAE.

At the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) in Lagos, officers also seized 27,510 Rohypnol pills hidden in sachets of alcoholic drinks headed for South Africa.

Follow-up operations led to the arrest of 46-year-old Samuel Omoruyi, alias Yellow, the alleged mastermind.

An Italy-based businessman, Enehizena Augustine Uyimwen, was arrested while attempting to export Tramadol and Tapentadol tablets hidden in food items to Europe.

He confessed to trafficking the drugs for a fee of €945.

NDLEA also made several arrests and seizures across Edo, Osun, Rivers, Katsina, Niger, Ondo, and Kaduna States, recovering large quantities of skunk, tramadol, pentazocine, and Exol-5 during various raids and highway operations.

The agency continued its War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) sensitization campaigns across schools and communities in Adamawa, Ebonyi, Katsina, Enugu, Niger, Kogi, Anambra, Rivers, Kano, and Osun States.

NDLEA Chairman, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd.), commended the officers for their professionalism and urged them to sustain their vigilance and commitment in the fight against illicit drug trafficking and abuse.