Europe-bound newlywed arrested with 72 wraps of cocaine in stomach at Enugu airport

n n

A 25-year-old newlywed businessman, Lovely Chukwulobelu, has been arrested by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) for allegedly attempting to traffic cocaine to Portugal.

n

Chukwulobelu, in a statement signed by Femi Babafemi, NDLEA Director of Media and Advocacy on Sunday, was intercepted at the departure hall of Akanu Ibiam International Airport (AIIA), Enugu, on Thursday, September 25, 2026, while attempting to board an Ethiopian Airlines flight to Portugal via Addis Ababa.

n

According to the NDLEA, the suspect had ingested 72 wraps of cocaine and was placed under excretion observation after his arrest.

n

He subsequently excreted all 72 wraps of the Class A illicit drug.

n

The agency said the suspect was wearing his wedding ring when he was arrested.

n

Chukwulobelu reportedly told investigators that he previously operated a car decoration business at the Trade Fair Complex in the Ojo area of Lagos before relocating to Portugal in May 2023.

n

He had recently returned to Nigeria and got married on September 13, 2026.

n

The suspect allegedly said he turned to drug trafficking in an attempt to offset expenses incurred during his wedding.

n

NDLEA intercepts 2.55 million opioid pills

n

In another major operation, NDLEA operatives at the import shed of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos, seized 2,550,000 pills of opioids during a joint examination of three monitored consignments.

n

The agency said the consignments contained Tramaking 225mg, Tramaking 250mg and Royal Tapentadol 250mg, with a combined gross weight of 1,640.55kg.

n

The consignments were imported from India and Bangladesh through Qatar Airways, RwandAir and Ethiopian Airlines.

n

262kg cannabis seized in Bauchi

n

In Bauchi State, NDLEA officers arrested two suspects, Umar Hamidu, 35, and Abdulkarim Salihu, 45, along the Maiduguri bypass.

n

The agency said the suspects were found with 300 compressed blocks of skunk, a strain of cannabis weighing 262.5kg.

n

The drugs were allegedly concealed in the false bottom of a truck marked MUB757 YH.

n

Meanwhile, NDLEA officers, supported by soldiers, destroyed two cannabis farms at Eko Camp, Ilushi, Edo State, estimated to have a combined yield of 1,360.23kg.

n

NDLEA raids Lagos drug hotspots

n

In Lagos, two women, Odumabo Kehinde, 36, and Obiekwe Chioma, 40, were arrested on Saturday, September 26, during a raid on Anifowoshe Street, Mushin.

n

The operatives recovered 3.4kg of skunk from the suspects.

n

In a separate operation at Ebute-Ero motor park on the same day, NDLEA officers arrested 58-year-old Ugwu Johnson and recovered several illicit consignments.

n

The exhibits included 5.920kg of skunk, 2,400 ampoules of pentazocine injection, 8,400 tablets of nitrazepam and 40,000 pills of tramadol.

n

Two Togolese arrested with 305kg cannabis

n

Two Togolese nationals, Yinusa Abdulsamad, 35, and Fatai Baba, 33, were also arrested along the Iganna-Ilero road in Iganna, Oyo State.

n

NDLEA said the suspects were intercepted with 305.6kg of skunk concealed in two pickup vans allegedly being used for cross-border trafficking.

n

The agency said the cannabis was sourced from Ghana and being moved into Nigeria through the Oyo axis.

n

At the Seme border in Badagry, Lagos, five suspects were arrested with 420 cartons of nitrous oxide, commonly known as laughing gas.

n

The substance weighed 1,688.4kg, while two vehicles allegedly used to transport the consignment from the border into Lagos were also seized.

n

The suspects were identified as Kingsley John, 40; John Chibuike Okeke, 44; Lamidi Ismaila, 40; Babatunde Samuel, 42; and Afeesu Idowu, 47.

n

Beyond its enforcement operations, the NDLEA said its commands and formations across the country continued their War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) sensitisation campaigns during the week.

n

The campaigns were held at schools, worship centres, workplaces and communities, including Community High School, Saki, Oyo State; Auchi College, Auchi, Edo State; Alkali Modibbo Islamic Centre, Dukku, Gombe State; and Junior Arabic Secondary School, Kahu, Kibiya LGA, Kano State.

n

The Delta Ports Command also paid a WADA advocacy visit to His Royal Majesty, Ogiame Atuwatshe III, the Olu of Warri, in Delta State.

n

NDLEA Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (rtd), commended officers and personnel of the MMIA, AIIA, Lagos, Oyo, Edo, Seme and Bauchi commands for the operations.

n

Marwa urged officers across the country to sustain what he described as the agency’s balanced approach to drug control efforts.

n n