RismadarVoice Reporters
November 15, 2026
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested a 28-year-old American basketball player, Greene Da’monte Khiree, over the alleged importation of 33.95 kilograms of cannabis into Nigeria through the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos.
In a separate operation, the agency intercepted 25.05 kilogrammes of methamphetamine concealed in breakfast cereal packages imported from South Africa.
NDLEA Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, disclosed the arrests in a statement issued on Sunday in Abuja.
According to Babafemi, Khiree arrived in Lagos on November 11 aboard an Emirates Airline flight from Thailand through Dubai.
Acting on intelligence, operatives placed him under surveillance after he allegedly abandoned two checked-in bags and attempted to leave the airport with only his carry-on luggage.
He was subsequently arrested at the airport car park.
A search of the abandoned bags, which reportedly bore his name tags, uncovered 32 parcels of cannabis, popularly known as Loud, weighing 33.95 kilogrammes.
Officers also recovered a tracking device from the luggage.
The suspect, a native of Savannah, Georgia, reportedly told investigators that he had lived in Thailand since October 2025, where he played professional basketball.
He claimed he travelled to Nigeria on holiday to establish professional connections in the basketball industry.
However, the agency alleged that a forensic examination of his mobile phone revealed information suggesting his involvement in the suspected trafficking operation.
In a separate methamphetamine interception, officers arrested 56-year-old Chinedu Onwude, allegedly operating under the identity of Omokan Isaac Babatope.
The suspect was apprehended on November 11 at the airport’s Terminal II arrival hall after returning from South Africa.
A search of his two travelling boxes reportedly uncovered 25 parcels of methamphetamine weighing 25.05 kilograms, concealed inside assorted breakfast cereal packages.
The NDLEA alleged that Onwude had lived in South Africa for more than 24 years using an identity obtained through forged documents.
He reportedly told investigators that a South Africa-based individual recruited him to deliver the consignment in Nigeria for 20,000 South African rand.
NDLEA Chairman, Brigadier General Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd.), commended the officers involved in the interceptions and urged personnel to sustain intelligence-led operations against drug trafficking.
The agency said investigations into the suspected trafficking activities were continuing.
Both individuals remain suspects and are presumed innocent unless convicted by a competent court.
