RismadarVoice Reporters
February 8, 2026
Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have arrested a 62-year-old Lagos-based businessman, Nwabueze Izueke, at the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport, Kano State, for attempting to traffic cocaine to China.
Izueke was apprehended on Saturday, January 31, 2026, during the outward clearance of passengers travelling to China via Addis Ababa on Ethiopian Airlines flight ET940, according to a statement issued on Sunday by the NDLEA spokesman, Femi Babafemi.
Babafemi said the suspect was subjected to a body scan, which confirmed the presence of illicit substances in his system. He was subsequently placed under observation, during which he expelled 95 jumbo-sized wraps of cocaine, weighing a total of 1.589 kilograms, in seven excretions.
The suspect reportedly told investigators that he ventured into drug trafficking in a desperate bid to raise money to complete the construction of a house in his hometown, Iwollo, Enugu State. He claimed to be engaged in the clothing and auto spare parts business in Lagos.
The arrest forms part of a series of coordinated nationwide operations by the NDLEA that led to multiple seizures and arrests across several states.
Major Seizures in Abuja and Kaduna:
In the Federal Capital Territory, NDLEA operatives recovered 627.7 kilograms of skunk, a strain of cannabis, from a makeshift warehouse located within Fums Plaza, Kubwa.
The agency also foiled attempts to smuggle consignments of methamphetamine concealed inside MP3 speakers from Enugu to Abuja and Kaduna. Four suspects—Ebube Okeke, Evans Ugwu, Mohammed Eze Arinze, and Friday Michael—were arrested in connection with the operation.
Babafemi said a follow-up operation in Zuba, FCT, led to the arrest of Ebube Okeke, identified as the owner of one of the parcels containing 173 grams of methamphetamine, while the other three suspects were arrested in Kaduna on Saturday, February 7, when they arrived to collect a second consignment weighing 28 grams.
Arrests and Recoveries Across States:
In Taraba State, NDLEA officers intercepted a suspect conveying methamphetamine concealed in packs of yoghurt.
In Oyo State, several arrests were recorded, including that of a suspected drug kingpin, Jimoh Nurudeen, who allegedly operated a facility producing synthetic cannabis, popularly known as Colorado, in the Badeku area of Ibadan. He was arrested alongside his accomplice, Ogundipe Yusuf.
Recovered from the suspects were eight litres of precursor chemicals, quantities of skunk, production paraphernalia, ₦7.4 million in qqq two vehicles, a Mercedes-Benz SUV and a Toyota Highlander.
