NDLEA Foils Drug Smuggling Bids, Seizes Cocaine and ‘Loud’ at Lagos Airport

​LAGOS — Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have neutralized a cross-border smuggling attempt, intercepting cocaine and high-grade cannabis concealed in food items at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA).

​In a statement released on Sunday by the agency’s spokesperson, Femi Babafemi, it was revealed that 12 large parcels of cocaine were discovered hidden in the false bottoms of food flasks. The shipment, weighing 2.80 kilograms, was destined for the United Kingdom via a Virgin Atlantic flight.

​Following the discovery on April 9, 2026, NDLEA officers arrested cargo agents Ama Obinna Ufeim, 33, and Ogabi Monday Akorede, 39. A subsequent follow-up operation led to the apprehension of 52-year-old Agoro Tajudeen Moninuola, identified as the alleged mastermind and sender of the illicit cargo.

​Snacks and Fashion Designers

​The crackdown extended to the airport’s import shed, where officers intercepted 2.90 kilograms of “Loud”—a potent synthetic strain of cannabis—shipped from the United States. The drugs were camouflaged inside snack food packs arriving on a Delta Airlines flight.

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​The investigation led to the arrest of clearing agents Animashaun Moshood Adetunji and Mercy Gabriel Oluwasegun. In a sting operation on April 13, the suspected consignee, Saheed Adeshina Adegoke, a 29-year-old fashion designer, was nabbed at his residence in Ogba, Lagos.

​Nationwide Successes

​The agency’s relentless weekend sweep also yielded results in Kaduna, where a cement truck was found conveying 847 kilograms of skunk. Across various states including Cross River and Edo, seven other suspects were taken into custody as the NDLEA intensifies its “War Against Drug Abuse” (WADA) campaign.

​Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of the NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Retd), commended the officers for their vigilance, urging them to remain a step ahead of the “increasingly desperate” tactics used by drug cartels.