The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested a 25-year-old newlywed businessman, Lovely Chukwulobelu, at the Akanu Ibiam International Airport (AIIA), Enugu, for allegedly attempting to traffic 72 wraps of cocaine to Portugal. Chukwulobelu, who was intercepted by NDLEA officers at the departure hall of the Enugu airport on Thursday, had ingested the cocaine and was wearing a wedding ring.
According to the NDLEA, Chukwulobelu was placed under excretion observation, during which he egested a total of 72 wraps of the Class A illicit drug. The suspect claimed he was into car decoration business at the Trade Fair Complex, Ojo area of Lagos, before relocating to Portugal in May 2023. He said he returned to Nigeria recently to get married on September 13, 2026.
Chukwulobelu stated that he resorted to the criminal trade to offset expenses incurred during his wedding. The NDLEA Director, Media and Advocacy, Mr Femi Babafemi, confirmed the arrest in a statement on Sunday. The agency said Chukwulobelu was attempting to board an Ethiopian Airlines flight to Portugal via Addis Ababa.
In a separate operation, NDLEA operatives uncovered one of the year’s biggest opioid hauls at the Lagos International Airport on September 22, 2026. The seizure included 2.5 million pills of Tramaking 225mg, Tramaking 250mg, and Royal Tapentadol 250mg, with a combined gross weight of 1,640.55 kilogrammes. The consignments were imported from India and Bangladesh via Qatar Airways, RwandAir, and Ethiopian Airlines.
The NDLEA also made several other seizures across the country, including 300 compressed blocks of skunk, a strain of cannabis weighing 262.5kg, in Bauchi State. Two suspects, Umar Hamidu and Abdulkarim Salihu, were arrested along the Maiduguri bypass with the contraband concealed in the false bottom of a truck.
In Edo State, NDLEA officers destroyed two cannabis farms with a combined estimated yield of 1,360.23kg at Eko Camp, Ilushi, on September 23. The agency also arrested several suspects in Lagos, including two female suspects, Odumabo Kehinde and Obiekwe Chioma, who were found with 3.4kg of skunk.
The NDLEA Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Brig-Gen. Mohamed Marwa (rtd), commended the officers and men of the various commands for the successful operations. He enjoined them to continue with the agency’s ongoing balanced approach to drug control efforts.
Key points
- The NDLEA arrested a 25-year-old bridegroom for attempting to traffic 72 wraps of cocaine to Portugal.
- The agency made several other seizures across the country, including 2.5 million pills of opioid and 300 blocks of skunk.
- The NDLEA destroyed two cannabis farms in Edo State with a combined estimated yield of 1,360.23kg.
