The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has recorded another major breakthrough in its ongoing war against illicit drug trafficking, following the arrest of two brothers, John Abugu (43) and Kenneth Abugu (31), at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Ikeja, Lagos. The siblings were apprehended while attempting to board a flight to India, with 5 kilograms of cocaine ingeniously concealed within the walls of their suitcases.
This development was confirmed in a statement released on Sunday by Femi Babafemi, the NDLEA’s Director of Media & Advocacy, who disclosed that the arrests were the result of proactive intelligence gathering and operational precision. The suspects had claimed they were travelling to India for medical treatment, but the vigilance and thorough search by NDLEA operatives exposed their illicit cargo.
Babafemi revealed:
“The two brothers were arrested at the Lagos airport on Thursday 3rd April 2025, following proactive processing of credible intelligence. They claimed they were travelling to India for medical treatment, but when their suitcases were thoroughly searched, whitish powdery substances later confirmed to be cocaine were discovered in the lining of their bags.”
In a related operation, NDLEA operatives in Kogi State apprehended a 33-year-old woman, Ngozi Ogili, for trafficking 3kg of methamphetamine. She was intercepted aboard a commercial transport bus along the Okene-Lokoja highway on Monday, March 31, 2025, while transporting the narcotic from Lagos to Abuja. A subsequent follow-up raid at her intended delivery point in Apo mechanic village, Abuja, led to the seizure of additional quantities of ‘Loud’ and ‘Colorado,’ both potent synthetic strains of cannabis.
The agency also confirmed another interception in Yobe State, where a suspect identified as Abdullahi Adamu was arrested along the Potiskum-Damaturu Road. During the operation, NDLEA officers seized 381 bottles of codeine syrup and 108 tablets of tramadol — both classified as controlled substances.
In Anambra State, coordinated raids at Osogbo Motor Park, Onitsha, and a residential house in Oba, Idemili Local Government Area, led to the arrest of Obinna Sunday. NDLEA operatives recovered an astonishing 195,000 pills of tramadol during this operation. In the same raid, another suspect, Ugochukwu Ojalanonye, was found in possession of 4.2kg of codeine syrup and 5.4kg of pentazocine.
The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) was not exempt from NDLEA’s intensified enforcement. On April 3, 2025, a 51-year-old suspect, Sunday Ayogu, was arrested at Wuse Market in Abuja with 25kg of skunk and 90.4g of methamphetamine.
Additionally, in a well-coordinated operation in Cross River State on April 4, 2025, NDLEA operatives, supported by the Nigerian Army, raided cannabis plantations in Esuk-Odot community, Odukpani Local Government Area. Two women, Faith Effiong Etim (64) and Victoria Asuquo Etim (40), were arrested. Over 100 hectares of farmland were cleared, and approximately 250,000 kilograms of cannabis were destroyed.
The NDLEA continues to demonstrate unwavering commitment in its efforts to dismantle drug trafficking networks and prevent the infiltration of dangerous narcotics into Nigerian society. The agency has urged the public to remain vigilant and continue to support its mission by providing credible intelligence.
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