Drug Enforcement Agents Intercept Cocaine Impregnated in Clothing at Lagos Airport

Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have intercepted a significant narcotics shipment at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, arresting a Brazil-based businessman who allegedly attempted to smuggle liquid cocaine chemically infused into everyday clothing items.

The suspect, identified as 41-year-old Abugu Oliver Ikechukwu, was apprehended shortly after arriving on an Ethiopian Airlines flight from São Paulo, Brazil, via Addis Ababa. A detailed physical examination of his luggage uncovered 14 shirts and towels that had been thoroughly saturated with liquid cocaine, dried, and ironed flat to evade visual detection. According to agency officials, the illicit substance extracted from the fabric weighed approximately 6.10 kilograms.

During initial interrogations, the suspect stated he has resided in Brazil for 14 years, where he operates an African cuisine restaurant. He claimed his journey to Nigeria was intended solely to visit his family and source bulk local food items for his business operations abroad.

In concurrent anti-narcotics sweeps across the country, law enforcement also disrupted several regional drug distribution networks. In Abia State, local security personnel detained a 60-year-old woman, Chidimma Sunday, with 1.8 kilograms of skunk before handing her over to federal drug agents. Separately, 28-year-old Abubakar Usman was taken into custody in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, in possession of an assortment of prohibited pharmaceuticals and stimulants, including methamphetamine, tramadol, and diazepam.

Furthermore, coordinated interdictions yielded substantial seizures nationwide over the same operational period. This included the interception of 304 kilograms of skunk in Kwara State, the recovery of 1,121.5 kilograms of cannabis from a warehouse facility in Taraba State, and the confiscation of 1,102 kilograms of smuggled cannabis, locally known as “Ghana Loud,” near the Alaba International Market complex in Lagos.

The leadership of the anti-drug agency commended the airport security detachments and regional commands for their vigilance, emphasizing that strict supply-reduction tactics will continue alongside community sensitization programs to curb trafficking operations.