Kano, Kano state —A 42-year-old Angolan national, Mbala Dajou Abuba, has been arrested by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) at the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport (MAKIA) after he was found attempting to smuggle c0caine to Istanbul, Turkey.
The suspect was intercepted on February 25, 2025, while preparing to board an Egypt Air flight to Turkey through Cairo.
A body scan revealed he had ingested illicit substances, leading to his detention under observation. Over the following hours, Abuba excreted 120 pellets of c0caine, totaling 1.829 kilograms.
Man explains why he went into hard drug trade
Abuba, who hails from Zaire province in Angola, confessed during questioning that he previously operated a delivery service before getting involved in drug trafficking.
“I was struggling with my business and decided to take this risk. I regret it now,” he told investigators.
NDLEA: More drug smuggling attempts foiled
In a separate operation, NDLEA officers at Lagos’ Murtala Muhammed International Airport arrested Okeke Ebuka Igwe, an auto parts dealer, while attempting to ship 1.10 kilograms of c0caine to Angola, The Punch reported.
The drugs were carefully hidden inside vehicle propellers meant for export.
“I thought hiding them inside car parts would work,” Igwe confessed during his interview with authorities.
Another suspect, Ezechi Iyke Cyprian, was caught moving 5.40 kilograms of c0caine in a Toyota Sienna vehicle en route to Owerri, Imo state
His arrest followed weeks of intelligence gathering and surveillance by NDLEA agents.
NDLEA combs seaports, forests
At Tincan Port in Lagos, officers discovered 128 parcels of Canadlan Loud cannabls, weighing 63.75 kilograms, stuffed inside two mattresses in a vehicle shipped from Canada, Vanguard reported.
The receiver of the consignment, Bamidele Joseph, 44, was taken into custody.
Meanwhile, in Delta State, NDLEA teams, with military support, raided a cannabls farm in Innam-Abbi/Orogun community, clearing over 50,000 kilograms of cannabls grown on a 20-hectare plot. Five suspects were arrested during the operation.
A follow-up action along the Abraka-Orogun road led to the seizure of 1,111 kilograms of skunk from a Mercedes Benz truck.
NDLEA forces drug baron to excrete 125 wraps
Meanwhile, Legit.ng reported that two drug traffickers were arrested at Port Harcourt and Lagos airports while attempting to smuggle 125 wraps of her0in into Nigeria.
NDLEA also seized large quantities of tramadol, Loud, and Colorado across multiple states, with arrests in Kano, Kogi, and Lagos.
