China-Bound Trader Arrested with 95 Cocaine Wraps as NDLEA Busts Major Drug Syndicates Nationwide

Jane Salihu

Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have arrested a 62-year-old Lagos-based businessman, Nwabueze Nicholas Izueke, at the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport (MAKIA) for attempting to smuggle cocaine to China.

In a statement on Sunday, the Director of Media and Advocacy of the agency, Femi Babafemi, said Izueke was arrested on January 31 during passenger clearance for Ethiopian Airlines flight ET940 to Addis Ababa en route to China. He said a body scan confirmed the suspect had ingested illicit drugs, after which he was placed under medical observation and later expelled 95 jumbo-sized wraps of cocaine weighing 1.589 kilograms.
Izueke, who claimed to be into clothing and auto spare parts trading in Lagos, told investigators he ventured into drug trafficking to raise money to complete his country home in Iwollo, Enugu State.

The arrest came as part of a nationwide crackdown on drug trafficking networks, with multiple seizures and arrests recorded across several states.

In the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), NDLEA operatives recovered 627.7 kilograms of skunk cannabis from a warehouse in Kubwa. Attempts to smuggle methamphetamine concealed in Mp3 speakers from Enugu to Abuja and Kaduna were foiled, leading to the arrest of Ebube Okeke and three others—Evans Ugwu, Mohammed Eze Arinze and Friday Michael.

In Taraba State, officers intercepted a suspect, Yusuf Abubakar, with methamphetamine concealed in packs of Hollandia yogurt weighing 1.8 kilograms. In Oyo State, a Beninoise national, Shuaibu Abdulrahman, was arrested with 149.6 kilograms of skunk concealed in rice shafts, while another suspect, Adeniyi Adeola, was nabbed in Ibadan with large quantities of tramadol capsules and pentazocine injections.

Also in Ibadan, NDLEA dismantled a synthetic cannabis production facility, arresting alleged drug kingpin Jimoh Nurudeen and his accomplice, Ogundipe Yusuf, with precursor chemicals, drugs, cash and vehicles recovered from them.

In Kwara State, operatives intercepted a fuel tanker transporting petrol to Maiduguri and recovered 395,400 capsules of tramadol concealed in the truck. Other seizures were recorded in Imo, Ondo, Lagos and Enugu states, including cocaine, methamphetamine and cannabis.

The agency also intensified its War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) sensitisation campaigns across schools, communities and traditional institutions nationwide during the period.

Commending the officers involved in the operations, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa, urged personnel across all commands to sustain their professionalism and commitment in the fight against drug trafficking and abuse.