₦23M Drug Gamble Backfires as NDLEA Arrests Lagos Businessman at Airport

By Omoyeni Ojeifo

A 48-year-old marble dealer’s bid for quick wealth ended in failure after NDLEA operatives intercepted him at Lagos airport with a ₦23 million cocaine consignment bound for India.

The suspect, Nwankwo Innocent Onyebuchi, had liquidated his business assets to fund the drug deal before being arrested at Terminal II of Murtala Muhammed International Airport while attempting to board a Qatar Airways flight to New Delhi.

A search of his check-in bag uncovered 1.550 kilograms of cocaine factory-fitted in the walls and railings of his bag, NDLEA Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, said in a statement emailed to PersecondNews on Sunday.

During interrogation, Nwankwo said he had sold off his marble business and every asset he owned and raised the ₦23 million he paid for the consignment, with the expectation of selling it in India for as much as ₦100 million.

With his assets gone, and his dream of transiting from a marble trader to a drug kingpin effectively shattered following his arrest, the suspect remains in custody awaiting prosecution and likely time in jail.

In Lagos, NDLEA operatives acting on credible intelligence raided a warehouse within a residential compound at 20 Hakeem Dosumu Street, Ago Palace area of Okota.

A total of 3,776 cartons, comprising 377,600 bottles of the controlled substance, valued at over ₦2.6 billion, were recovered between Friday, August 7 and Saturday, August 8, 2026.

In another intelligence-led interdiction in Lagos, NDLEA operatives on Wednesday 14th August raided the residence of a 55-year-old kingpin, Shoremi Kayode, at 37 Ogundare Street, Ipaja Estate, Ipaja area.

The operation led to the recovery of 324 kilograms of Colorado, a synthetic strain of cannabis, with a street value of Nine Hundred and Seventy-Two Million Naira (₦972,000,000).

Also recovered from the suspect were a Mercedes-Benz car and a Toyota Corolla car.

Meanwhile, in Kwara, two suspects, Abubakar Adamu, 50, and Bilyaminu Nuhu, 30, were on Thursday 13th August arrested at Kam Wire area of Ilorin with 55.96kg skunk.

A truck marked DKA 350 XL was recovered in connection with the seizure.

In another development at the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, Ibadan, Oyo State, two other suspects, 70-year-old grandpa Abdulfatai Oyelaran and Abdulrauf Ajadi, 50, were nabbed by NDLEA officers on patrol on Wednesday 12th August.

Recovered from their Toyota Sienna vehicle marked FFA-115KA were 52,000 ampoules of pentazocine injection and 6,000 ampoules of tramadol injection.

Along the Onitsha/Asaba Expressway on Thursday 13th August, NDLEA operatives arrested two suspects, Osaro Ikpoba, 43, and Samuel Godbless, 18.

A total of 124,100 pills of tramadol, 786 bottles of codeine syrup, 2,598 tablets of rohypnol, 4,800 tablets of diazepam, 470 ampoules of pentazocine injection and 200 ampoules of tramadol injection were recovered.

Also, along the Kwale/Ozoro expressway on Wednesday 12th August, another suspect, Emeka Tony, 50, was nabbed with 1,244 pieces of cartridges and monetary exhibit of eight million naira (₦8,000,000) only.

In Plateau State, a Toyota Corolla car with registration number MKD 341 EA was intercepted by NDLEA operatives along Riyom/Jos road, Jos, where 239,490 caps of tramaforce, a brand of tramadol, were recovered.

A suspect, Kasum Sherif, was arrested in connection with the seizure.

In Kano, six suspects were arrested on Monday 10th August by NDLEA operatives on patrol along Zaria-Kano Road.

They include Okodili Ibeabuchi, 60; Onyeka Vincent, 47; Nwanko Wisdom, 36; Success Chigozie, 30; Emmanuel Jude, 27; and Chinedu Peter, 39.

Large consignments of opioids were recovered from them, including 728,958 pills of tramadol, rohypnol and others, as well as 360 grams of cocaine, 99.8 grams of methamphetamine and 50 bottles of codeine syrup.

Also recovered from them were 2.7 kilograms of Loud, a synthetic strain of cannabis.

Still in Kano, NDLEA operatives on Friday 14th August raided the Zawaciki Gida Dubu, Kumbotso LGA, where they recovered 171 blocks of skunk weighing 106.8kg.

Two suspects, Mustapha Iliya, 30, and Abdulwahab Abdulrashid, 24, were arrested in connection with the seizure.

In Edo State, a total of 4,628.9775kg skunk was destroyed on two cannabis farms that measured 1.851591 hectares at Ugboku/Igbanke forest, Orhionmwon LGA.

A suspect, Agholor Elebojie, 40, was arrested in one of the farms during a raid by NDLEA operatives on Wednesday 12th August.

Also in Benin City, Edo State, another suspect, Kingsley Anigala, 28, was nabbed with 25.857kg Loud and 93 grams of meth during a raid of drug joints at Oluku area on Friday 14th August.

The War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) social advocacy activities by NDLEA Commands equally continued across the country in the past week.

Some of them include WADA sensitization lecture delivered to students and staff of Madarasatu Sheikh Muhammad Rabi’u Arabic School, Kano, and Olomu Junior Secondary School, Ajah, Lagos State, among others.

While commending the officers, men and women of MMIA, Lagos, Kano, Kwara, Edo, Plateau, Oyo and Delta Commands for the arrests and seizures of the past week, NDLEA Chairman/Chief Executive Officer retired Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa also lauded their counterparts across the country.

Marwa thanked the commands for pursuing a fair balance between their drug supply reduction and drug demand reduction efforts.