NDLEA Arrests Trader with 127 Cocaine Pellets Hidden in Body at Kano Airport
Story: written by Daniel October 13,2025
Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have arrested a 52-year-old businessman, Ejiofor Godwin Emeka, for allegedly smuggling 127 wraps of cocaine into Nigeria through the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport (MAKIA).
NDLEA spokesperson Femi Babafemi, in a statement issued on Sunday, October 12, 2025, revealed that Emeka was intercepted after a body scan exposed the illicit drugs concealed inside his body.
Emeka, who reportedly runs clothing businesses in Lagos and Onitsha, arrived from Bangkok, Thailand, aboard Ethiopian Airlines flight ET 941 on October 8. The cocaine, weighing 1.388 kilograms, was hidden in his stomach and private parts.
Following his arrest, NDLEA officers kept him under close observation until he excreted several of the cocaine pellets, confirming the smuggling attempt.
In another operation, NDLEA agents in Lagos intercepted three courier packages containing banned substances such as methamphetamine, tramadol, pentazocine, and cannabis, all cleverly concealed in glassware, vitamin bottles, and herbal supplement packs destined for the United Kingdom.
The agency also arrested several individuals, including a freight forwarder and a cab driver, over an attempted shipment of rohypnol pills to South Africa.
Simultaneous operations across other states also yielded results. In Edo, NDLEA officers recovered 47 kilograms of skunk during a raid in Ugbekpe Ekperi; in Osun, two men were caught transporting 635 kilograms of skunk; in Rivers, 8.5 kilograms were seized; and in Katsina, a suspect was arrested with 29.5 kilograms of cannabis.
The NDLEA said the coordinated operations reflect its ongoing crackdown on drug trafficking networks and renewed commitment to curbing narcotics smuggling across Nigeria’s borders.
