Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have made a remarkable interception of cocaine cleverly concealed inside everyday items at a Lagos courier facility, as part of a coordinated intelligence-led crackdown.
In a statement issued on Sunday, July 6, NDLEA’s spokesperson Femi Babafemi revealed that officers from the Directorate of Operations and General Investigation, stationed at a logistics firm in Lagos, uncovered two separate consignments packed for international shipment. One involved 420 grams of cocaine embedded in 84 female lipsticks bound for the United Kingdom. The second batch comprised 280 grams hidden within a property title document (Certificate of Occupancy) destined for Saudi Arabia
According to Babafemi, these shipments were seized during routine screening of courier packages on July 3, as part of ongoing efforts to curtail the exploitation of export and logistics channels by international drug networks
In a related operation at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) on July 7, NDLEA agents intercepted 11.3 kg of “loud,” a potent cannabis strain, concealed inside 23 new microwaves imported from Thailand via Addis Ababa. The cargo was traced to an Ethiopian Airlines flight originating from Bangkok. A suspect, Ezenwegbu Chike, was promptly arrested in connection with this seizure
Another consignment of cocaine—approximately 400 grams mixed with phenacetin, a cutting agent—was dismantled from lipsticks shipped among other cosmetic items to Malabo, Equatorial Guinea. A businessman, Ezeikwelume Prince Afam, was arrested at the Trade Fair Complex in Lagos on July 11 in connection with the case
In addition to these seizures, NDLEA’s Special Operations Unit arrested a long-wanted trafficker, Okechukwu Izugha aka Okey Omeogo, in Lagos on July 9. Izugha had been on the run since August 2024 following a 9 kg cocaine bust linked to his network. His wife, Maureen Izugha, had earlier been convicted and sentenced for possession of 500 grams of cocaine in January 2025
The agency’s activities extended beyond Lagos: in Edo State alone, over 28,000 kg of skunk cannabis was destroyed on three farms in Ewere‑Uzebba forest, spanning 11 hectares. Cartel operatives reportedly ambushed NDLEA personnel during the raid, firing at their vehicles, though no casualties were recorded. Approximately 82 kg of processed cannabis was also seized at the site
NDLEA’s crackdown continued nationwide: drug shipments including compressed “Ghana Loud” (700 kg) were recovered at Okun‑Ajah Beach along with a delivery truck; along the Ajah‑Epe expressway, two suspects were arrested with 26 kg Loud, 123 g methamphetamine, and 45 g Molly
In Borno, Gombe, Taraba, Kogi, Kaduna, Kano, Osun and other states, NDLEA conducted coordinated raids that yielded massive seizures of opioids (including tramadol and pentazocine), cannabis, and opioids pills—amounting to hundreds of thousands of tablets and kilograms of illicit substances—along with multiple arrests of alleged traffickers
The agency’s Chairman, Brigadier‑General Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), commended the operatives involved and emphasised NDLEA’s dual focus on suppressing drug supply while educating the public via its War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) outreach across schools and communities in Cross River, Lagos, Kano, Enugu, and Borno States
NDLEA maintains that traffickers are increasingly turning to innovative concealment techniques—embedding narcotic substances in cosmetics, paperwork, and household appliances—to evade detection. The agency reaffirmed its resolve to dismantle such syndicates and secure the nation against evolving drug trafficking strategies
