By: Kingsley Omonobi

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, has arrested a 42-year-old Angolan businessman Mbala Dajou Abuba at the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport, MAKIA, Kano, for attempting to traffic a large consignment of cocaine, which he ingested, to Istanbul, Turkey.

The agency’s spokesman, Femi Babafemi, said yesterday that Mr Abuba, from the Zaire province in Angola, was arrested on Tuesday, February 25th, 2025, at the screening point of the Kano airport while trying to board Egypt Air flight MS 880 to Istanbul, Turkey, via Cairo.

After his body scan result confirmed he ingested an illicit drug, he was thereafter placed under excretion observation during which he expelled 120 pellets of cocaine weighing 1.829 kilograms in seven excretions.
In his statement, the suspect claimed he was into the business of township delivery services in Angola before delving into the illicit drug trade.

According to the statement, among others, “A similar attempt by an auto spare parts dealer, Okeke Ebuka Igwe, to send two parcels of 1.10kg cocaine concealed in vehicle propellers to Angola through the export shed of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, MMIA, Ikeja Lagos, was thwarted by NDLEA operatives who arrested him on Monday 24th February following credible intelligence.

“During an interview with the suspect, he claimed that he is a businessman selling auto parts in ASPANDA, Trade Fair Complex, Ojo area of Lagos. The bid by another suspect, Ezechi Iyke Cyprian to move a large consignment of cocaine weighing 5.40 kilograms to Owerri, Imo state in his Toyota Sienna bus on Sunday 23rd February was frustrated by operatives of a special operations unit of NDLEA who arrested him following weeks of intelligence and surveillance.

“At the Tincan seaport in Lagos, NDLEA operatives on Friday 28th February discovered a total of 128 parcels of Canadian Loud.”

a strong strain of cannabis concealed in two mattresses in the trunk of a Toyota Venza car imported from Canada.

“The discovery of the 63.75kg consignment was made during a joint examination of a targeted container marked TCNU 1945861 from Montreal, Canada, by NDLEA, Customs and other security agencies.

“The consignee of the shipment, 44 year old Bamidele Joseph has been arrested and taken into custody.
In Delta state, NDLEA operatives supported by the military on Thursday 27th February stormed a forest in Innam-Abbi/Orogun community, Ndokwa West local government area where they destroyed over 50,000kg cannabis on a 20 hectare farm land.

Five suspects arrested during the raid include: Augustine Subaru, 45; Ukoba Malachukwu, 53; Odalonu Emmanuel, 40; Esuabom Macaulay, 35; and Itoje Safe, 54.

In another operation in Delta, NDLEA operatives on Friday 28th February intercepted a Mercedes Benz truck marked AWK 791 ZJ along Abraka-Orogun road.

A search of the truck led to the recovery of 101 bags of skunk with a total weight of 1,111kg.

In Edo State, NDLEA officers supported by the military on Saturday 1st March raided the Okpuje community in Owan West LGA where they destroyed over 100 jumbo bags of skunk in warehouses and recovered a total of 1,409.5kg of the psychoactive substance for the prosecution of arrested suspects: Oikelomen Osere Monday, 38 and Glory Iroyo, 42.