Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have arrested a 74-year-old man, Ikwuakalom Nwakoro Emeka, at Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja for allegedly attempting to smuggle cocaine to the United Kingdom.
According to the agency, the suspect was apprehended in the airport’s departure hall while preparing to board a British Airways flight bound for Heathrow Airport in London. The arrest took place during routine security checks conducted by NDLEA officers.
In a statement issued by the agency’s Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, officials said a thorough search of the suspect’s luggage uncovered about 11 kilograms of cocaine. The illicit substance had been concealed inside food items such as ground dry pepper and wrapped in foil papers and balloons in an apparent attempt to evade detection.
In a separate operation in Lagos, NDLEA operatives acting on intelligence arrested a woman, Maryam Olalowo, at Ikad Hotel and Suites. She was allegedly caught attempting to sell 89 grams of cocaine along with 20 grams of Canadian Loud, a potent strain of cannabis.
Authorities said Olalowo was with her three children, including an infant, at the time of the arrest. During interrogation, she claimed the drugs belonged to her husband, Ibrahim Olalowo Olatunji, who was later arrested the same day. She was subsequently released after preliminary investigations.
NDLEA officials said Olatunji admitted ownership of the narcotics. Investigations further revealed that he had previously been arrested and convicted for a similar offence in 2015, for which he served a two-and-a-half-year prison sentence.
The agency also reported additional arrests in other parts of the country. In Lagos, two suspects — Kalilou Simpara and Saidu Ibrahim — were apprehended at Ebetu Ero on Lagos Island, where officers recovered 68,000 pills of tramadol. The alleged owner of the consignment, Nnamdi Cyprian, was later arrested at Idumota Market.
Further enforcement actions led to the seizure of 47,500 ampoules of pentazocine injection from a shop at Idumota Market. Authorities also carried out arrests in Kano, Abuja and Edo states, while security agencies intercepted 339,800 bottles of codeine-based syrup hidden in two containers at Apapa Port during a joint inspection involving NDLEA, Customs and other security agencies.
