• NDLEA intercepts N900m opioids, drugs concealed in female headwear, furniture, snacks
A 34-year-old Ugandan woman who travelled to Nigeria with members of her church for a prayer programme in Lagos has been arrested after allegedly attempting to smuggle 87 wraps of cocaine, weighing 1.15kg, concealed around her pelvic region, out of the country.
The suspect, identified as Farida Nansubuga, was arrested by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) on November 3, 2026, at the screening point of Terminal 2 of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Ikeja, Lagos.
She was reportedly preparing to board a flight to Uganda when a joint passenger screening exercise involving NDLEA operatives and aviation security personnel raised suspicion.
A preliminary body search indicated that she had concealed something around her pelvic region.
She was subsequently taken to a designated private search room, where operatives discovered 87 wraps of cocaine weighing 1.15kg, strapped around her waist and held in place beneath two layers of underwear.
According to her account, Joy linked her with a contact in Nigeria, who arranged for a vehicle to convey her to a hotel on the morning of her scheduled departure.
It was there that a man allegedly handed her the cocaine and instructed her to conceal it beneath her clothing to evade airport security.
Although no definite payment was agreed, she reportedly expected to receive at least $1,000 after successfully delivering the consignment.
The arrest was among several major drug interceptions and raids across the country announced by the NDLEA, including the seizure of 750,000 tablets of Tapentadol worth about N900 million, cannabis shipments destined for the United Kingdom and Australia, and substances suspected to be used in producing synthetic cannabis.
At the airport’s import shed, NDLEA operatives on November 6 intercepted 750,000 tablets of Tapentadol 250mg, weighing 526kg and valued at N900 million.
The consignment, which arrived from Ahmedabad, India, aboard an Ethiopian Airlines flight on November 3, had been declared as Paracetamol 500mg tablets.
The shipment comprised 11 cartons packed in two wooden structures. Acting on suspicion that the declaration was false, operatives placed the consignment under surveillance before conducting a joint examination with officers of the Nigeria Customs Service and other security agencies.
The examination revealed that 10 of the 11 cartons contained the opioid tablets, while only the last carton held paracetamol tablets, allegedly used as cover.
In another operation at the airport on November 4, operatives intercepted 32 parcels of Loud, a potent strain of cannabis, weighing 16.15kg, concealed inside two wooden sofas in a consolidated cargo from Houston, Texas, United States.
A freight agent, Ibrahim Abdulwaheed Adewale, who presented himself to clear the consignment, was arrested.
