RismadarVoice Reporters, June 14, 2026
Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have arrested a businessman based in Brazil over the alleged importation of liquid cocaine concealed in clothing items brought into Nigeria.
The suspect, identified as 41-year-old Abugu Oliver Ikechukwu, was apprehended at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos, shortly after arriving from São Paulo, Brazil, on a flight that transited through Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
According to the NDLEA, a detailed inspection of the suspect’s luggage uncovered several shirts and towels that had been impregnated with liquid cocaine. The agency said the items had been dried and carefully ironed in an attempt to disguise the illicit substance and avoid detection.
Authorities disclosed that laboratory analysis revealed the concealed narcotics weighed approximately 6.10 kilograms.
During preliminary investigations, the suspect reportedly told operatives that he had lived in Brazil for more than 14 years, where he operates an African restaurant. He claimed he travelled to Nigeria to visit his family and purchase food supplies for his business abroad.
In a separate operation, NDLEA officers arrested two suspects living with disabilities in connection with alleged drug trafficking activities in Abia and Rivers states.
One of the suspects, a 60-year-old woman identified as Chidimma Sunday, was reportedly intercepted by a local vigilante group in Isialangwa North Local Government Area of Abia State and later handed over to NDLEA officials after being found with a quantity of suspected cannabis.
The second suspect, 28-year-old Abubakar Usman, was arrested in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, where operatives allegedly recovered various prohibited substances, including cannabis, methamphetamine, tramadol and other controlled drugs.
The agency also reported significant drug seizures in several parts of the country, including large quantities of cannabis intercepted in Kwara, Taraba and Lagos states during separate operations.
NDLEA Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Brigadier General Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd.), commended officers involved in the operations, praising their efforts in combating drug trafficking and reducing the circulation of illicit substances across the country.
He urged personnel to sustain the momentum while continuing public sensitisation and drug demand reduction campaigns aimed at tackling substance abuse and related crimes nationwide.
