NDLEA arrests India-bound businessman with cocaine; recovers N3.6bn colos, codeine
By Kingsley Omonobi
Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have arrested a 48-year-old businessman, Nwankwo Innocent Onyebuchi, who liquidated all his assets to chase a dream of quick riches in the illicit drug trade.
He was arrested at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) Ikeja, Lagos, while heading to New Delhi, India, with 1.550 kilograms of cocaine cleverly concealed within the side walls and railings of his bag.
NDLEA said, “Nwankwo, who deals in marbles in Lagos, was arrested at the departure hall of Terminal II of the Lagos airport while attempting to board a Qatar Airways flight to New Delhi, India.
“A search of his check-in bag uncovered 1.550 kilograms of cocaine factory-fitted in the walls and railings of his bag.
“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 ₦23 million he paid for the consignment, with the expectation of selling it in India for as much as N100 million.
“With his assets gone, and Nwankwo’s dream of transiting from a marble trader to a drug kingpin effectively shattered following his arrest, the suspect remains in custody awaiting prosecution and likely time in jail.
“In another operation, 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, 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 Seventy-Two Million Naira (N972,000,000).
Also recovered from the suspect were a Mercedes-Benz car and a Toyota Corolla car.
In Kwara
Similarly, two suspects: Abubakar Adamu, 50, and Bilyaminu Nuhu, 30, were on Thursday 13th August arrested at Kam Wire area of Ilorin with 55.96kg skunk in a truck marked DKA 350 XL recovered, while two other suspects: 70-year-old grandpa Abdulfatai Oyelaran and Abdulrauf Ajadi, 50, were nabbed by NDLEA officers on patrol along the Lagos-Ibadan expressway, Ibadan, Oyo state on Wednesday 12th August.
Recovered from their Toyota Sienna vehicle marked FFA-115KA were: 52,000 ampoules of pentazocine injection and 6,000 ampoules of tramadol injection.
A total of 124,100 pills of tramadol; 786 bottles of codeine syrup; 2,598 tablets of rohypnol;
4,800 tablets of diazepam; 470 ampoules of pentazocine injection and 200 ampoules of tramadol injection were recovered from two suspects: Osaro Ikpoba, 43, and Samuel Godbless, 18, along Onitsha/Asaba expressway on Thursday, 13th August.
Another suspect, Emeka Tony, 50, was nabbed with 1,244 cartridges and monetary exhibit of eight million naira (N8,000,000) only along Kwale/Ozoro expressway on Wednesday, 12th August.
Furthermore, a Toyota Corolla car with registration number MKD 341 EA was intercepted by NDLEA operatives along Riyom/Jos road, Jos, Plateau State where 239,490 caps of Tramaforce, a brand of Tramadol were recovered and a suspect, Kasum Sherif, arrested.
In Kano, six suspects were arrested on Monday, 10th August, by NDLEA operatives on patrol along Zaria-Kano road. They include: Okodili Ibeabuchi, 60; Onyeka Vincent, 47; Nwanko Wisdom, 36; Success Chigozie, 30; Emmanuel Jude, 27; and Chinedu Peter, 39.
Large consignments of opioids recovered from them include 728,958 pills of tramadol, rohypnol, and others, as well as 360 grams of cocaine, 99.8 grams of methamphetamine, 50 bottles of codeine syrup and 2.7 kilograms of Loud, a synthetic strain of cannabis.
Also in Kano, NDLEA operatives on Friday, 14th August, raided the Zawaciki Gida Dubu, Kumbotso LGA, where they recovered 171 blocks of skunk weighing 106.8kg and arrested two suspects: Mustapha Iliya, 30, and Abdulwahab Abdulrashid, 24, in connection with the seizure.
A total of 4,628.9775kg of skunk was destroyed on two cannabis farms that measured 1.851591 hectares at Ugboku/Igbanke forest, Orhionmwon LGA, Edo State where a suspect, Agholor Elebojie, 40, was arrested in one of the farms during a raid by NDLEA operatives on Wednesday, 12th August.
Another suspect, Kingsley Anigala, 28, was nabbed with 25.857kg Loud and 93 grams of meth during a raid of drug joints at Oluku area of Benin City on Friday, 14th August.
The War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) social advocacy activities by NDLEA Commands also continued across the country in the past week. Some of them include: WADA sensitisation lecture delivered to students and staff of Madarasatu Sheikh Muhammad Rabi’u Arabic School, Kano and Olomu Junior Secondary School, Ajah, Lagos State, among others.
While commending the officers, men and women of MMIA, Lagos, Kano, Kwara, Edo, Plateau, Oyo and Delta Commands of the Agency for the arrests and seizures of the past week, the Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd) also praised their counterparts in all the commands across the country for pursuing a fair balance between their drug supply reduction and drug demand reduction efforts.
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