NDLEA arrests businessman with N23m cocaine at Lagos airport

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency has arrested a 48-year-old businessman, Nwankwo Onyebuchi, with 1.550kg of cocaine concealed in the walls and railings of his luggage at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos.

Disclosing this to newsmen, the spokesperson of NDLEA, Femi Babafemi, said Onyebuchi, who deals in marbles in Lagos, was arrested at the departure hall of Terminal II of the airport while attempting to board a Qatar Airways flight to New Delhi, India.

According to him, a search of the suspect’s check-in bag uncovered 1.550kg of cocaine factory-fitted into its walls and railings.

Babafemi mentioned that the suspect reportedly confessed that he had sold his marble business and other assets to raise N23m to purchase the consignment, which he expected to sell in India for up to N100m.

“In a candid confession that lays bare the desperation that fuels the drug trade, Nwankwo said he had sold off his marble business and every asset he owned to raise the N23m he paid for the consignment, with the expectation of selling it in India for as much as N100m.”

He added that the suspect remained in custody awaiting prosecution.

The statement added

“In another operation, the NDLEA operatives acting on credible intelligence raided a warehouse within a residential compound at 20 Hakeem Dosumu Street, Ago Palace area of Okota, Lagos, where a massive stockpile of codeine-based syrup was discovered.

A total of 3,776 cartons, comprising 377,600 bottles of the controlled substance, valued at over N2.6 billion, were recovered between Friday, 7th, and Saturday, 8th August 2026.

In yet another intelligence-led operation, the 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 of Lagos, recovering 324 kilograms of Colorado, a synthetic strain of cannabis, with a street value of nine hundred and N972,000,000. Also recovered from the suspect were a Mercedes-Benz car and a Toyota Corolla car.”