The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested a notorious drug kingpin and recorded several major drug seizures across the country, including the destruction of over 28,000 kilogrammes of skunk on farms in Edo State.
The agency also intercepted 722,875 pills of opioids and 1.16 kilogrammes of cocaine concealed in household items such as microwaves and cosmetics at various locations in a week-long operation.
NDLEA spokesperson, Femi Babafemi, disclosed this in a statement issued on Sunday, July 13, 2025.
Cannabis in microwaves, cocaine in lipsticks
According to Babafemi, operatives at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Ikeja, Lagos, intercepted parcels of Loud, a strong strain of cannabis concealed in microwaves imported from Thailand, and wraps of cocaine built into ladies’ lipsticks going to Guinea.
“The Loud consignment was part of a consolidated cargo that came in two tranches on an Ethiopian Airlines flight from Bangkok, Thailand, through Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
“Based on credible intelligence, the cargo was subjected to a thorough search during which 23 parcels of loud weighing 11.3kg concealed in new microwaves were recovered on Monday, 7th July 2025.
“A suspect, Ezenwegbu Chike, has been arrested in connection with the seizure,” he explained.
Babafemi further disclosed that barely a week after, the agency seized 420 grams of cocaine hidden in 84 pieces of female lipstick bound for the UK from a Lagos courier company.
NDLEA operatives at the export shed of the Lagos airport have intercepted another consignment of cocaine built into ladies’ lipsticks as part of a cargo containing hair attachments, face powder, and other items heading to Malabo, Guinea.
“No less than 400grams of cocaine and phenacetine, a cutting agent, were recovered from the lipsticks when dismantled,” he said, adding that a businessman at the Trade Fair Complex, Ojo area of Lagos, Ezeikwelume Prince Afam, was arrested on Friday, 11th July, in connection with the seizure.
NDLEA nabs notorious kingpin in Lagos
Meanwhile, NDLEA operatives also apprehended a notorious drug kingpin, Okechukwu Izugha (a.k.a Okey Omeogo), who has been arrested in Lagos by operatives of a Special Operations Unit of NDLEA after 12 months of going into hiding.
“He was nabbed on Wednesday, 9th July at his wife’s shop in Ijesha market,” Babafemi disclosed.
Izugha came under the NDLEA radar on 7th August 2024 after a 9kg cocaine was recovered from a suspect, Obiora Joseph Agudosi, at a motor park in Orile, Lagos, while going to deliver the consignment in the southeast.
“Izugha was identified as the owner of the seized drug. In the course of investigating the kingpin and his network, his wife, Maureen Izugha, was arrested with 500grams of cocaine at her beverage store in Ijesha market on 21st January 2025.
“She was thereafter arraigned in court, convicted, and sentenced to two years’ imprisonment. Unknown to him that NDLEA was still on his trail, the wanted kingpin came out of his hiding and was promptly arrested last Wednesday,” Babafemi said.
Statewide operations yield more drug seizures
In Edo State, NDLEA officers destroyed over 28,054 kilograms of skunk cultivated on three cannabis farms spanning more than 11 hectares in the Ewere-Uzebba forest, Owan West LGA, on Tuesday, July 8. An additional 82kg of processed skunk was also recovered.
The team was ambushed by armed cartel members while exiting the forest, but they successfully repelled the attack, sustaining no casualties despite damage to one of their vehicles.
In Lagos, operatives recovered 1,400 compressed blocks of Ghana Loud, a potent cannabis variant weighing 700kg, from a location near Okun-Ajah Beach. Two suspects, Innocent Ejidiobo and Friday Paul, were arrested on the Ajah-Epe expressway on July 11 with 26kg of Ghana Loud, 123 grams of methamphetamine, 45 grams of Molly, and a delivery van.
The agency also recorded significant seizures across several other states:
Borno State: On July 12, NDLEA officers arrested Godwin Chimaobi Nwaobi, 42, with 18,759 ampoules of pentazocine, tramadol, and rohypnol at Njimtilo, Maiduguri. This followed an earlier seizure of 10,000 tramadol pills from Abdulrahman Bello Ahmadu, 34, on July 9.
Gombe State: A total of 116,226 pills of tramadol and D5 were intercepted from five suspects in Gombe Main Market and along the Gombe-Kano Road on July 8 and 12.
Kogi State: On July 10, operatives arrested Sabiu Bala with 316.6kg of skunk along the Okene-Lokoja expressway.
Kaduna State: Haladu Suleiman, 38, was arrested in Gubuchi, Ikara LGA, with 58.805kg of skunk.
Taraba State: On July 12, three suspects, Auwal Ibrahim (30), Lukman Ibrahim (18), and Hamza Adamu (25), were caught at Lanka Viri checkpoint with 577,890 opioid pills and 1.160kg of skunk hidden inside a petrol tanker. They were arrested based on credible intelligence from July 8.
Kano State: On July 9, NDLEA operatives arrested three men, Shamsudini Abdullahi (35), Adamu Abdullahi (21), and Magaji Rabo (26) with 48.1kg of skunk near Janguza Barracks.
