The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has apprehended two brothers at Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos, for attempting to smuggle 5kg of cocaine hidden within the lining of their suitcases.
The suspects, identified as John Abugu (43) and Kenneth Abugu (31), were apprehended on Thursday, April 3, while preparing to board a flight to India, where they claimed they were travelling for medical treatment.
The agency’s operatives conducted a thorough search of the brothers’ luggage and discovered a whitish powdery substance, later confirmed to be cocaine, hidden in the lining of their bags, according to Femi Babafemi, NDLEA Director of Media & Advocacy, in a statement on Sunday.
Operatives of a Special Operations Unit of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, have arrested two brothers: John Abugu, 43, and Kenneth Abugu, 31, at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, MMIA Ikeja, Lagos with 5kilograms cocaine concealed in walls of their suitcases while attempting to board a flight to India.
“The two brothers were arrested at the Lagos airport on Thursday 3rd April 2025 following proactive processing of credible intelligence,” he said.
“They claimed they were travelling to India for medical treatment but when their suitcases were thoroughly searched by NDLEA officers, whitish powdery substances later confirmed to be cocaine were discovered on the walls of their bags.”
He said, “Meanwhile, NDLEA operatives in Kogi state have arrested a 33-year-old lady, Ngozi Ogili while moving 3kg of methamphetamine from Lagos to Abuja. She was nabbed in a commercial transport bus along Okene-Lokoja highway on Monday 31st March 2025.
“A follow-up operation at her point of delivery in Apo mechanic area of Abuja led to the seizure of quantities of Loud and Colorado, both synthetic strains of cannabis.”
The NDLEA also said that no fewer than 381 bottles of codeine syrup and 108 tablets of tramadol were seized from a suspect, Abdullahi Adamu, along Potiskum-Damaturu Road in Yobe state by its operatives on Saturday, April 5, 2025.
It added that a raid at Osogbo motor park, Onitsha and a house at Oba in Idemili Local Government Area of Anambra state “led to the arrest of Obinna Sunday and the seizure of 195,000 pills of tramadol”.
It said, “Also arrested during the raid at the motor park was Ugochukwu Ojalanonye with 4.2kg codeine syrup and 5.4kg pentazocine.
“In the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, NDLEA operatives on Thursday 3rd April arrested 51-year-old Sunday Ayogu with 25kg skunk and 90.4g of methamphetamine during a raid operation at Wuse market Abuja, while two ladies: Faith Effiong Etim, 64, and Victoria Asuquo Etim, 40, were nabbed on Friday 4th April when NDLEA operatives supported by men of the Nigerian Army raided cannabis plantations in Esuk-Odot community, Odukpani LGA of Cross River State where 250,000 kilograms of the psychoactive plant were destroyed on over 100 hectares of farm land.”
