In a series of coordinated raids, the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has made significant drug seizures, uncovering a dangerous network of international drug traffickers operating out of Nigeria’s Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos.
On April 3, 2025, two brothers, John and Kenneth Abugu, were arrested as they attempted to board a flight to India. The brothers, aged 43 and 31, claimed they were seeking medical treatment abroad. However, NDLEA operatives uncovered 5 kilograms of cocaine hidden within the walls of their luggage, exposing their role in the global drug trade. Their arrest highlighted the ever-growing use of Nigerian airports as key transit points in international narcotics trafficking.
In the same operation, 20-year-old Ghanaian-British student Parker Darren Hazekia Osei was caught attempting to smuggle 19.4 kilograms of cannabis, known as Loud, into Nigeria.
Osei had traveled from Bangkok, where he had picked up the drugs, and was en route to deliver them to a destination in Nigeria.
His arrest underscores the increasing use of students and unsuspecting individuals in global drug syndicates.
The NDLEA’s crackdown didn’t stop at the airport. In Kogi, a 33-year-old woman named Ngozi Ogili was apprehended with 3 kilograms of methamphetamine intended for distribution between Lagos and Abuja.
The agency also seized significant quantities of synthetic cannabis, highlighting the dangerous rise of new, potent narcotics in the Nigerian market.
In Abia, a 75-year-old man, Nna Nnanna Felix, was caught with 1.6 kilograms of skunk during a raid in Ukwa West, while another suspect, David Chinemerem, was arrested with over 2,000 ampoules of pentazocine.
These seizures form part of a broader effort by the NDLEA to dismantle a wide-reaching drug distribution network operating within and outside Nigeria’s borders.
As the NDLEA continues to crack down on traffickers, the agency’s role in protecting the country from the devastating effects of drug trafficking has never been more critical.
With these significant busts, the NDLEA is sending a clear message: they are committed to fighting drug trade at all levels, from international smuggling to local distribution.
The recent arrests serve as a stark reminder of the relentless efforts required to combat Nigeria’s growing drug crisis.
