NDLEA Arrests Ugandan Woman With 87 Cocaine Wraps Concealed In Private Part

Agency intercepts multi-billion-naira opioids, cannabis, synthetic drug chemicals; seizes illicit consignments bound for UK, Australia

By BASHIR ADEFAKA

According to the NDLEA, Nansubuga had arrived in Nigeria on October 29 with members of her church for a spiritual renewal prayer session at The Synagogue Church of All Nations (SCOAN), Ikotun-Egbe, Lagos.

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested a 34-year-old Ugandan woman, Farida Nansubuga, at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos, with 87 wraps of cocaine weighing 1.15 kilogrammes concealed around her pelvic region.

This was contained in a statement signed by Femi Babafemi, Director of Media and Advocacy, NDLEA Headquarters, Abuja, on Sunday, November 8, 2026.

The suspect was arrested on Tuesday, November 3, 2026, while attempting to board a flight to Uganda after allegedly collecting the illicit consignment for delivery to her home country.

According to the NDLEA, Nansubuga had arrived in Nigeria on October 29 with members of her church for a spiritual renewal prayer session at The Synagogue Church of All Nations (SCOAN), Ikotun-Egbe, Lagos.

However, while other members of her delegation returned to Uganda after the prayer session, she allegedly remained behind to collect the cocaine on behalf of a friend identified as Joy, who resides in Uganda.

The agency disclosed in a statement issued on Sunday by its Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, that NDLEA operatives intercepted the suspect at the Terminal 2 screening point of the Lagos airport during a joint passenger screening exercise with aviation security personnel.

A preliminary body search raised suspicion of a substance concealed around her pelvic region, prompting officers to take her to a designated private search room for a secondary examination.

The search led to the recovery of 87 wraps of cocaine, with a gross weight of 1.150 kilogrammes, strapped around her pelvic region and secured beneath two layers of underwear.

During interrogation, the suspect allegedly disclosed that a contact in Nigeria, acting on the instructions of her Ugandan friend, arranged transportation to a hotel on the morning of her scheduled departure, where a man handed over the cocaine and instructed her to conceal it beneath her clothing.

She reportedly expected to receive at least $1,000 upon successful delivery of the consignment, although no definite payment had been agreed.

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In another major interception at the Lagos airport, NDLEA operatives uncovered 750,000 tablets of Tapentadol 250mg, weighing 526 kilogrammes and valued at approximately N900 million, in a consignment imported from India and falsely declared as Paracetamol Tablets 500mg.

The consignment, comprising 11 cartons packed in two wooden structures, arrived at the airport’s import shed on November 3 aboard an Ethiopian Airlines flight from Ahmedabad, India.

Following suspicion over the declaration, NDLEA officers placed the shipment under surveillance before conducting a joint examination with officials of the Nigeria Customs Service and other security agencies on November 6.

The examination revealed that 10 of the 11 cartons contained the opioid tablets, while only the last carton contained paracetamol tablets used as cover.

Also at the airport, operatives intercepted 32 parcels of Loud, a potent strain of cannabis weighing 16.15 kilogrammes, concealed inside two wooden sofas in a consolidated cargo arriving from Houston, Texas, United States, aboard a Turkish Airlines flight on November 4.

A freight agent, Ibrahim Abdulwaheed Adewale, who presented himself to clear the consignment, was arrested.

In a follow-up operation on November 6, a 34-year-old caterer from Ibadan, Oyo State, Adeoye Sarafa Ojo, was also arrested when he arrived to collect the package. He allegedly claimed he was acting on behalf of a friend, Taiwo Anuoluwapo Olusegun.

The agency also dismantled a syndicate allegedly involved in importing chemicals used in producing Colorado, a synthetic cannabis, from the United Kingdom.

The operation followed the interception of nine parcels of illicit substances concealed in two cartons of snacks bearing the inscription “Michael Tea Guy” in a consolidated cargo that arrived aboard an Air Peace flight from the UK on October 23.

Two of the parcels contained 1.20 kilogrammes of cannabis, while forensic analysis confirmed that the remaining seven contained chemicals used in the production of synthetic cannabis.

A 51-year-old freight agent, Afolabi Abiodun Wale, who presented himself to clear the shipment, was arrested.

Two additional cartons meant for the same recipient subsequently arrived from the UK aboard an Allied Air flight. A sting operation conducted between October 26 and 28 led to the arrest of another 51-year-old suspect, Okwuite Benjamin Ojone, when he took delivery of the four cartons.

A search of the additional cartons uncovered three parcels weighing 3.30 kilogrammes concealed in two packs of detergent, as well as 11 plastic bottles containing mostly liquid substances weighing 16.25 kilogrammes.

The total seizure from the operation amounted to 1.20 kilogrammes of cannabis and 28.65 kilogrammes of chemicals used in producing synthetic cannabis.

At courier companies in Lagos, NDLEA operatives intercepted 46 blocks of cannabis weighing 22.2 kilogrammes in two cartons destined for the United Kingdom on November 3.

Earlier, on October 30, officers intercepted 296 tablets of Swinol destined for Australia from Lagos, alongside three consignments of tramadol intended for the UK.

The tramadol shipments included 20 capsules from Benin City and 96 capsules from Sapele, Delta State, concealed inside vitamin C containers, as well as 600 tablets of Tramadol 225mg from Asaba hidden in female headwear.

Meanwhile, a 32-year-old man, Abubakar Ali, was arrested on November 6 at Marine Beach, Apapa, Lagos, where NDLEA operatives discovered a drug storage facility he had constructed inside the sitting room of his apartment.

Items recovered included 1.06 kilogrammes of Tramadol 250mg, 1.27 kilogrammes of Tramadol 225mg, 400 grammes of pregabalin capsules, 355 grammes of diazepam, 200 millilitres of codeine and 6.07 kilogrammes of cannabis.

Across other states, the agency recorded further seizures and arrests.

In Ondo State, operatives raided Odofin Road, Uso, on November 6, recovering 148 bags of cannabis weighing 1,818 kilogrammes.

Earlier the same day, officers raided a cannabis farm in Board Forest, destroyed one hectare of cannabis plantation, recovered 242 kilogrammes of the substance and arrested a 36-year-old suspect, Itoro Linus Akpan.

In neighbouring Ekiti State, a 53-year-old man, Agbo Paul Peter, was arrested at Osin Forest, Osin-Ekiti, on November 5, with 216 kilogrammes of cannabis and cannabis seeds.

In Edo State, NDLEA operatives intercepted a Golf saloon car conveying 19 bags of cannabis weighing 201 kilogrammes along the Auchi-Ibillo Road in Akoko-Edo Local Government Area on November 6.

The driver, Abdulmumid Isah, 39, and his passenger, Danako Godwin, 25, were arrested.

In a related operation, officers raided a notorious drug joint on Ihama Road, GRA, Benin City, arresting three suspects identified as Emmanuel Sunday, 25; Samuel Bala, 31; and Loveth Momodu, 20, with quantities of Colorado, Loud and cannabis.

In Taraba State, three suspects were arrested within two days at the NDLEA checkpoint in Lankaviri, Yorro Local Government Area, with a combined 283 blocks of compressed cannabis weighing 226.255 kilogrammes.

On November 5, Ibrahim Abdullahi, 45, was arrested with 156 blocks weighing 149.275 kilogrammes, while Kabiru Usman, 25, was apprehended with 80 blocks weighing 40.07 kilogrammes.

The following day, Babangida Babayo, 32, was arrested with 47 blocks weighing 36.91 kilogrammes.

In Enugu State, a 57-year-old man, Celestine Uzochukwu Ejiakor, was arrested on November 3 at the Eke Obinagu checkpoint with 44 blocks of cannabis weighing 22.5 kilogrammes.

At another checkpoint in Ugwuoba, operatives arrested Godwin Shaapera, 40, with 24,000 capsules of tramadol weighing 13.4 kilogrammes and 697 grammes of ketamine.

In Delta State, NDLEA operatives arrested Edugua Othuke, 30, at Ozoro, Isoko North Local Government Area, on October 31, recovering 10.54 kilogrammes of skunk, 9.4 kilogrammes of cannabis seeds and 4.3 grammes of methamphetamine.

Another suspect, Akpofure Tobore, 34, was arrested on November 4 at Upper Agbarho, Ughelli, with quantities of skunk, tramadol, rohypnol and laughing gas.

Beyond its enforcement operations, the agency said its commands and formations nationwide sustained their War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) sensitisation campaigns in schools, religious centres, workplaces and communities.

Recent activities included enlightenment lectures for students and staff of St. Andrew Basic School, Oyo; Government Technical College, Abakaliki, Ebonyi State; Sa’ad College, Kano; and Inland Girls Secondary School, Onitsha, Anambra State.

The Zone 1 Command also paid a WADA advocacy visit to the Emir of Bauchi, HRH Alhaji Rilwanu Sulaiman Adamu, at his palace in Bauchi.

Commending officers and personnel of the MMIA, Lagos, Ondo, Ekiti, Edo, Delta, Taraba and Enugu commands for their operational successes, NDLEA Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), described the arrest of the Ugandan woman as a disturbing reminder of the methods employed by international drug cartels.

Marwa noted that criminal networks would stop at nothing, including exploiting religious activities and spiritual journeys, to recruit unsuspecting or willing couriers for their illicit trade.

He urged officers across the agency’s commands to sustain the momentum of their supply and demand reduction operations.