Nigerian-British grandma arrested with 13kg cocaine concealed in plantain peels

A 67-year-old Nigerian-British grandmother, Mary Yetunde Barek, has been arrested by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, for allegedly attempting to smuggle 13 kilograms of cocaine concealed in fake plantain peels through the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos.

The NDLEA disclosed the arrest in a statement issued on Sunday by its Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi.

According to the agency, Barek, who works as a caregiver in the United Kingdom, was arrested at the departure hall of Terminal 2 while attempting to board a Virgin Atlantic flight to London on June 28, 2026.

A search of her luggage reportedly uncovered 31 large wraps of cocaine carefully packaged to resemble hands of plantain and hidden among other food items. The recovered drugs weighed a total of 13 kilograms.

The suspect allegedly admitted ownership of the cocaine during interrogation.

In a separate operation, NDLEA operatives arrested a 45-year-old PhD student at the University of Putra, Malaysia, Nwabueze Felix Onyeka, in Ekwusigo Local Government Area of Anambra State over the attempted export of 5.8 kilograms of cocaine concealed in the walls of nine cartons of Orijin Bitters destined for Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

The arrest followed the interception of 36 parcels of cocaine hidden inside the cartons. Investigations initially led to the arrest of four suspects in Lagos, including cargo agent Alalade Taiwo Azeez, driver Ndem Ogbonna Kelechi, trader Okeke Tochukwu Chimezie, and Igwilo Chidi Henry, who allegedly supplied the cartons used to conceal the drugs.

NDLEA said further investigations identified Onyeka, who was subsequently arrested at his hometown of Aziora, Ozubulu, in Anambra State, as the alleged leader of the syndicate.

In Taraba State, operatives arrested a 30-year-old suspect, Daniel Harrison Ugwuoke, on July 4 along the Zaki-Biam-Wukari road after allegedly recovering 43,980 capsules of Tramadol concealed inside the fuel tanks of a vehicle travelling from Onitsha, Anambra State.

In Kaduna State, NDLEA officers arrested Boniface Agu, 65, and Monday Nwaeze, 50, during a raid in Gwantu on July 2, recovering 1.7 kilograms of methamphetamine.

Similarly, a 65-year-old suspect, Francis Ifara Eja, was arrested with 231.7 kilograms of skunk in Ikwo, Ebonyi State, on July 4, while a 75-year-old suspect, Alhaji Babani, was apprehended with 15 kilograms of skunk in Qua’an Pan Local Government Area of Plateau State on July 3.

In Gombe State, NDLEA operatives arrested Dahiru Mohammed, 65, and Isiya Lawan, 36, at Kuri village in Yamaltu-Deba Local Government Area on July 1, where they allegedly recovered 587 blocks of cannabis sativa weighing 556 kilograms.

The agency also said its commands across the country continued drug abuse prevention campaigns under the War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) initiative, conducting sensitisation lectures in schools and communities in Anambra, Enugu, Ogun and Kano states.

NDLEA Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd.), commended officers of the MMIA, Taraba, Kaduna, Ebonyi, Plateau and Gombe commands for the arrests and seizures, urging them to sustain efforts in drug supply reduction and public awareness campaigns.