KEY POINTS

• Two brothers were arrested at Lagos airport with 5kg of cocaine hidden in suitcase linings while en route to India.
• NDLEA also detained a Ghanaian-British student with 19.4kg of cannabis and a 75-year-old man in Abia with 1.6kg of skunk.
• The arrests highlight Nigeria’s escalating drug trafficking crisis, with authorities vowing stricter enforcement.

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, has arrested two brothers, John Abugu (43) and Kenneth Abugu (31), at Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) in Lagos for attempting to smuggle 5 kilograms of cocaine concealed in their luggage.

The suspects, who claimed to be traveling to India for medical treatment, were intercepted with the cocaine on Thursday, April 3, 2025, following a tip-off.

NDLEA spokesman Femi Babafemi confirmed the arrest, stating that officers discovered the cocaine hidden in the walls of their suitcases during a routine search. “The brothers insisted their trip was for healthcare, but forensic tests confirmed the substances were cocaine,” Babafemi said.

According to Channelstv, the seizure of he cocaine highlights Nigeria’s ongoing struggle with drug trafficking, particularly through its major airports.

This incident follows a recent NDLEA operation where a 20-year-old Ghanaian-British student, Parker Darren Hazekia Osei, was caught with 19.4 kilograms of cannabis at the same airport. Osei, who claimed to study Computer Science in London, admitted to transporting the drugs from Bangkok to Nigeria.

NDLEA arrests elderly suspect in Abia

In a separate raid in Abia State, NDLEA operatives arrested 75-year-old Nna Nnanna Felix with 1.6 kilograms of cannabis in Ukwa West Local Government Area. Another suspect, David Chinemerem (21), was apprehended in Aba with 2,050 ampoules of pentazocine, a controlled painkiller often abused as a narcotic.

Babafemi emphasized the agency’s commitment to dismantling drug networks across Nigeria. “No one is above scrutiny—whether young students or elderly individuals,” he stated. The arrests come amid growing concerns over drug abuse in Nigeria, particularly among youths. The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) estimates that nearly 15% of Nigerians aged 15–64 have used illicit substances at least once.

Authorities are investigating possible connections between the Abugu brothers and international drug cartels. “We suspect these arrests are just the tip of the iceberg,” an NDLEA insider revealed.