The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency has intercepted 25.05 kilogrammes of methamphetamine concealed in packs of assorted breakfast cereals imported from South Africa through the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos, and arrested a 56-year-old Nigerian suspect who allegedly lived in South Africa for over two decades using a stolen identity.
The interception was disclosed in a statement on Sunday, November 15, 2026, by the agency’s Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, ValidViewNetwork reports .
THE METH SEIZURE
The suspect, identified as Omokan Isaac Babatope, whose real name is Chinedu Onwude, was arrested on Wednesday, November 11, 2026, at the arrival hall of Terminal II of the Lagos airport upon his return from South Africa.
A search of his two travelling boxes led to the recovery of 25 parcels of a white crystalline substance weighing 25.05kg, which tested positive for methamphetamine.
“The parcels had been carefully concealed inside packs of assorted breakfast cereals and cereal-based food products in a bid to beat security screening,” Babafemi said.
The suspect, who holds both Nigerian and South African passports, reportedly told investigators that he had lived in South Africa for over 24 years. He confessed to adopting the name Omokan Isaac Babatope after using forged documents to gain entry into South Africa and had continued using the identity .
He further disclosed that a South Africa-based man, identified as Obiora Okoye, contracted him to deliver the consignment in Nigeria for R20,000.
THE BASKETBALL PLAYER
In a separate operation on the same day, NDLEA operatives intercepted a 28-year-old American citizen, Greene Da’monte Khiree, who arrived in Lagos aboard an Emirates flight from Thailand through Dubai .
The suspect, who was placed under surveillance upon arrival, was observed abandoning his two checked-in bags before attempting to exit the airport with only his carry-on luggage. He was promptly apprehended at the airport car park.
A search of the two abandoned bags revealed 32 parcels of Loud weighing 33.95kg. A tracking device was also recovered from the luggage.
The suspect, a native of Savannah, Georgia, claimed he had lived in Thailand since October 2025, where he plays professional basketball. He said he travelled to Nigeria on holiday to build networks for his basketball career.
However, a forensic examination of his mobile phone allegedly revealed information linking him to the drug trafficking operation .
THE GUN FACTORY
In Kaduna State, NDLEA operatives on Monday, November 9, raided a facility in Sabon Garin Kangin, where they uncovered an illegal firearms manufacturing factory and seized 196 rounds of AK-47 ammunition from a female suspect.
WHY IT MATTERS
The meth hidden in cereal boxes is a reminder that the drug trade is endlessly inventive. A man who had lived in South Africa for 24 years under a stolen identity was paid R20,000 to carry 25kg of meth into Nigeria.
The drugs were concealed in breakfast cereal, the kind of product that would never raise suspicion at a security checkpoint.
The arrest of an American basketball player with 34kg of cannabis from Thailand is another reminder that Nigeria is not just a transit point. It is a destination market.
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And the gun factory in Kaduna is a reminder that the drug trade and the arms trade are often intertwined.
The NDLEA has made significant seizures. But the trade continues. And the cartels are always one step ahead. ValidViewNetwork reports.