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The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested a 34-year-old Ugandan woman with 87 wraps of cocaine weighing 1.15 kilograms at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos, while she was preparing to return to her home country.
The agency’s Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, disclosed this in a statement issued on Sunday, November 8, 2026. The suspect, identified as Farida Nansubuga, allegedly concealed the cocaine around her pelvic region beneath two layers of underwear before attempting to board a flight to Uganda.
NDLEA arrests Ugandan woman with 87 cocaine wraps
According to the NDLEA, Nansubuga arrived in Nigeria on October 29, 2026, with members of her church delegation for a prayer session at the Synagogue Church of All Nations (SCOAN) in the Ikotun-Egbe area of Lagos.
While the other members of the delegation returned to Uganda after the religious gathering, the 34-year-old allegedly remained in Nigeria to collect a cocaine consignment for a friend identified as Joy, who lives in Uganda.
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- “She came to Nigeria with members of her church for spiritual renewal at a prayer session in Lagos. But when it was time to go home, 34-year-old Ugandan, Ms. Farida Nansubuga, chose a different path. While the rest of her delegation flew back to Uganda, she stayed behind, not to pray some more, but to pick up a consignment of cocaine, which she hid in her private part in a bid to smuggle it into her country,” the statement read in part.
- The agency said she was intercepted on November 3 at the screening point of Terminal 2 of the Lagos airport during a joint passenger screening exercise involving NDLEA operatives and aviation security personnel.
- A body search revealed a suspicious substance around her pelvic region, prompting officers to move her to a designated private search room.
- A secondary search led to the recovery of 87 wraps of cocaine weighing 1.15 kilograms, strapped around her pelvic region beneath two layers of underwear.
During preliminary questioning, she reportedly said a contact in Nigeria arranged her transportation to a hotel, where an unidentified man handed her the drugs.
She allegedly expected to receive at least $1,000 after delivering the consignment in Uganda, although no specific payment had been agreed.
The NDLEA said the suspect told investigators that Joy had directed her to the Nigerian contact and that she was instructed to conceal the drugs beneath her clothing to evade airport security.
NDLEA uncovers more drug shipments at Lagos airport
The agency also reported several other drug interceptions at the Lagos airport and across the country.
In a separate operation at the airport, operatives intercepted 750,000 tablets of Tapentadol 250mg, weighing 526 kilograms and valued at N900 million, in a shipment imported from India.
The consignment arrived aboard an Ethiopian Airlines flight from Ahmedabad on November 3 and was declared as Paracetamol 500mg.
A joint examination on November 6 revealed that 10 of the 11 cartons contained Tapentadol, while only one contained the declared paracetamol tablets.
NDLEA also intercepted 32 parcels of Loud, weighing 16.15 kilograms, concealed in two wooden sofas in a cargo shipment from Houston, United States, which arrived on November 4.
The operation led to the arrest of freight agent Ibrahim Abdulwaheed Adewale and 34-year-old caterer Adeoye Sarafa Ojo, who came to collect the consignment.
In another operation, operatives uncovered cannabis and chemicals used to produce Colorado, a synthetic cannabis, in a shipment from the United Kingdom. The substances were concealed in cartons labelled as snacks and detergent, leading to arrests during follow-up operations.
The agency also intercepted 22.2 kilograms of cannabis destined for the United Kingdom and 296 tablets of Swinol intended for Australia at courier companies in Lagos. Several tramadol shipments concealed in vitamin C containers and female headwear were also recovered.
NDLEA’s recent major drug seizures
The latest arrest comes amid a series of major drug trafficking interceptions reported by the NDLEA at Nigerian airports, seaports and other locations.
In September 2026, the agency arrested 38-year-old Philip Tunde at the Lagos airport with 4.8 kilograms of cocaine concealed in shoes and travel bags while he was preparing to board a flight to Milan, Italy.
In August, NDLEA operatives intercepted 47,200 Captagon pills valued at over N1.5 billion and 3.9 million tablets of Tramaking and Tapentadol worth more than N4.6 billion at the Lagos airport. The Captagon seizure followed the arrest of a 49-year-old cross-border drug trafficking suspect who arrived in Lagos from Accra, Ghana.
The agency also reported intercepting illicit drugs worth over N7.1 billion at Lagos ports in October, including 8,725 kilograms of tramadol powder valued at more than N6.98 billion at Apapa Port
