Ikwuakalom Nwakoro Emeka, a 74-year-old grandfather, was taken into custody by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport (NAIA), Abuja, following the discovery of a sizable cocaine shipment in foil papers and balloons hidden in his luggage.
According to a statement released on Sunday, NDLEA Director of Media & Advocacy Femi Babafemi revealed that on Saturday, March 14, 2026, Emeka was arrested by its agents at the Abuja airport’s departure hall while trying to board British Airways flight BA082 to Heathrow, London, United Kingdom.
When the septuagenarian’s luggage was searched, 11 kg of cocaine were found hidden inside food products, such as crushed dry pepper, that had been meticulously wrapped in balloons and foil wrappers.
The statement also revealed that early on Monday, March 9, in Lagos, NDLEA agents acting on reliable information detained a woman named Maryam Olalowo at the Ikad Hotel and Suites on Etim Inyang Street, Victoria Island, while she was trying to sell 20 grams of Canadian Loud, a cannabis strain, and 89 grams of cocaine.
“At the time of the arrest, she was discovered with her three children, including a baby. She admitted that Ibrahim Olalowo Olatunji, her husband, was the owner of the illegal substances. He was arrested that same day, but his wife was released right away.
“Ibrahim acknowledged in his statement that he was the owner of the illegal drugs, but additional research showed that he had been detained, found guilty, and given a two-and-a-half-year prison sentence for a similar offense in 2015.”
Additionally, on Monday, March 9, NDLEA agents detained two suspects, Kalilou Simpara and Saidu Ibrahim, in another interdiction operation at Ebetu Ero, Lagos Island, where they found 68,000 tramadol 250mg and 225mg pills. The suspects had loaded the exhibits into their truck and were getting ready to transport them to the Benin Republic.
On Wednesday, March 11, a follow-up operation was carried out at the Idumota market on Lagos Island, when Nnamdi Cyprian, the real consignment owner, was taken into custody.
“A search of his shop led to the discovery of a parcel ready for waybill delivery, containing 1,000 tablets of tramadol 250mg,” the statement emphasized. On Friday, March 13, another raid at the Idumota market resulted in Nwanosike Kelvin’s arrest and the discovery of 47,500 ampoules of pentazocine injection from his store.
“NDLEA officers in Abuja found 282.2 kg of skunk from a suspect, Isah Wako, 42, in Gwagwalada area of the FCT on Friday, March 13, while a 42-year-old Magaji Dan Azumi was arrested at Bebeji area of Kano on Tuesday, March 10, with 386 kg of skunk.”
Additionally, the NDLEA agents stormed the Egwa forest reserve in Aduan village, Orhionmwon LGA, Edo State, where they arrested 33-year-old suspect Chinedo Odalonu and destroyed 4,218.96 kg of skunk on two farms, recovering 16.5 kg of the same material.
The statement went on to say that during a combined inspection of the shipments by NDLEA officers, Customs officials, and other security agencies, no fewer than 339,800 bottles of codeine-based syrup were found in two containers at the Apapa harbor in Lagos on Saturday, March 14.
The organization mentioned that NDLEA had previously placed the containers on a watch list due to reliable information about opioid hiding in them.
The Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), commended the officers and men of the Agency’s NAIA, Lagos, Kano, Edo, and FCT Commands for the arrests and seizures made over the past week. He also commended their counterparts in all of the commands nationwide for pursuing a fair balance between their efforts to reduce drug supply and demand.
