By Kazeem Ugbodaga
Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have arrested a 52-year-old businessman, Ejiofor Godwin Emeka, at the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport (MAKIA), Kano, after he excreted 127 wraps of cocaine concealed in his private part and stomach.
Emeka, who operates boutiques in Lagos and Onitsha, Anambra State, was apprehended on arrival from Bangkok, Thailand, via Ethiopian Airlines flight ET 941 on October 8, 2025, following credible intelligence.
NDLEA spokesman Femi Babafemi said a body scan confirmed that Emeka ingested illicit substances and concealed others in his underwear.
He added that a total of 58 wraps of cocaine were immediately recovered from his pants before he was placed under excretion observation and that over several days, he excreted 69 additional pellets in seven rounds, bringing the total to 127 wraps weighing 1.388 kilograms.
In another major breakthrough, NDLEA operatives intercepted three consignments of illicit drugs destined for the United Kingdom at a courier company in Lagos on October 9 and 10.
The first shipment contained 1.74 kilograms of methamphetamine cleverly hidden inside blocks of glass ceramics, while the second and third contained 114 grams of pentazocine, 168 grams of tramadol injections, and 48 grams of tramadol capsules concealed in Vitamin C containers.
The statement further said attempts by criminal syndicates to export other consignments were also foiled.
These included 2.6 kilograms of skunk and 422 grams of tapentadol tablets concealed in black soap heading to Turkey, 169 grams of cocaine hidden in ladies’ handbags bound for Australia, and 568 grams of “loud” cannabis packed in containers of herbs destined for the United Arab Emirates.
Following the arrest of a freight agent and a cab driver linked to the shipment, a follow-up operation led to the arrest of 46-year-old Samuel Omoruyi, also known as Yellow, at Oyingbo Market, Lagos, identified as the mastermind behind the attempt.
The same day, an Italy-based businessman, Enehizena Augustine Uyimwen, was arrested while attempting to export 3,700 tramadol pills and 2,600 tapentadol tablets hidden in food items to Europe.
According to NDLEA, He confessed that he was trafficking the drugs on behalf of another person for a fee of €945.
Elsewhere across the country, NDLEA officers continued their crackdown on drug traffickers. In Edo State, a raid on the home of Emmanuel Sunday at Ugbekpe Ekperi, Etsako Central Local Government Area, led to the recovery of 47 kilograms of skunk, a potent strain of cannabis.
In Osun State, two suspects were arrested at Omifufun village, Ife South Local Government Area, after 635 kilograms of skunk were found in their Toyota Hiace bus, while another 100 kilograms were recovered from two other suspects in the same area.
In Rivers, Kaduna, Niger, Katsina and Ondo states, operatives seized thousands of opioid pills, cannabis, and other controlled substances in separate operations, arresting several suspects in the process.
Chairman and Chief Executive of NDLEA, Brig.-Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (rtd), commended the officers for their professionalism and resilience, urging them to sustain the momentum in the ongoing War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) campaign.